IS HE THE ONE ?
by vip-enix
Summary: Ever wondered what went through Annabeth's mind when she first saw Percy/when Percy was claimed and was given a quest/when Percy went through all the battles / when he fought with Ares? Get a sneek peek in Annabeth's mind while she travells though america with Percy and Grover in lightning thief from Annabet's POV .
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1. He's the one. He must be.

Disclaimer:

This Fan fiction is based on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief book. I do not own any of the characters, books or really anything thing to do with the Lightning Thief. I'm just re-writing it in Annabeth's perspective.

I AM A NEW WRITER AND THIS IS MY FIRST FANFICTION SO PLZ BE SOFT ON ME !

Chapter 1. He's the one. He must be.

I was walking over to the dining pavilion when I hear shouting, but it wasn't just shouting, it sounded distraught and wild.  
My ears traced the noise all the way to the porch near the boundary line and there was my good friend Grover, his eyes half open, leaning on the boy who was shouting. He shouted and as he got closer I could make out what he said, he was calling to his mum, I could see silent tears running down his cheeks. He was holding a Minotaur horn, no...His mum wasn't killed by the Minotaur, was she? Chiron appeared out of nowhere.  
"Annabeth's what's all this noise...?"  
I couldn't make my lips move so I gestured towards the boy and Grover.  
"Oh my gods." Chiron murmured, then the boy collapsed on the wooden porch and stared up at us. He had cuts and bruises on every inch of his body but despite this he was pretty good looking; he seemed to be around my age. There was an aura of power that seemed to radiate from him; some kind of fierce energy even as his eyes had started to droop closed.  
"He's the one," I finally managed. "He must be."  
"Silence, Annabeth," Chiron snapped. "He's still conscious. Bring him inside."  
I helped Chiron haul the boy then Grover to the Big House.  
"Will Grover be okay?" he was lying down on a bed, moaning for food.  
"He will be fine, just a few cuts and a mild concussion-nothing permanent or serious. Quick pass me some nectar, fast! On the table." I reached for the bottle of nectar on the wooden table and quickly passed it to Chiron. Chiron dripped it into Percy's mouth...nothing happened.  
Chiron cursed in ancient Greek.  
He tried again...nothing. He muttered a prayer then placed his hand on the boy heart and gave him a little more nectar. He spluttered, Chiron looked relieved and I exhaled a breath that I didn't even know I had been holding.  
Then gave the nectar to me, motioning to Grover. I poured a little into his mouth. Grover moaned about cheese enchiladas for a moment then opened his eyes. He didn't look injured anymore, everything about him was healed.  
"Annabeth, I must go and take Grover to his hearing. Would you mind to stay here and look after Percy?"  
Percy-that was his name. It was an odd, unusual name but it somehow felt familiar, like I'd read it somewhere.  
Poor boy, he'd probably get teased by Clarisse the first time she heard his name. But somehow the name seemed incomplete like it was an abbreviation of something.  
I didn't really want to stay with the boy but I'd overheard something about the summer solstice and something that had been stolen; maybe the boy knew...  
"Oh, right. Sure Chiron, I'll take care of him."  
"Thank you, child." He smiled faintly. "Argus will be over in a few minutes to help you; don't give the boy too much nectar..." We locked eyes, I knew well enough not to give him too much nectar, one sip too much and you spontaneously combust.  
"Good luck, Grover." I said.  
"Thanks Annabeth. I'll probably need it." he moaned and walked away behind Chiron.  
The boy, Percy, was sleeping and muttering strange things about barnyard animals and food and some wanting to kill him and something about a Kindly One who attacked him and was disguised as a teacher. Gods, does this boy have a creative imagination, I thought as I dripped nectar into his mouth. He coughed and spit dripped out of his mouth. Ew! This boy so owed me, all I was saying was I'd better get good information about the summer solstice and he'd better be grateful that I was doing this. More slobber dripped out of his mouth. I growled under my breath and the boy stirred just as Argus walked in.  
"Argus, you can go; it's fine." I didn't want him to hear the question I wanted to ask the boy.  
He cocked his head to one side.  
"Yes, I'm sure."  
He nodded. Argus didn't talk he had eyes all over his body and I meant all over, including his tongue. Yeuch.  
Finally, he opened the door and I listened until the echoing clip, clop of his shoes became no longer audible.  
The boy opened his eyes, I was meant to say something about his bad dribbling habit when I noticed his eyes; I hadn't had a chance to properly observe his eyes before they were startlingly green. Swirls of green, all different shades, curled over each other. Overlapping, merging, glowing, and creating a whole new colour. It was like I was seeing the colour for the first time ever. The colour green was underrated; these eyes weren't just green they were out of this world.  
This green put even the watercolour green that you see in masterpiece paintings, even the ripest shiniest leaf in summertime to shame.  
His eyes were vivid and captured the dim Big House lighting in an attractive way, like they were cutting through all the light and rearranging it into a beautiful picture. I couldn't speak, my throat felt closed up like someone had taken my voice away.  
_Get a grip, Annabeth!_ I told myself but I was lost in his eyes; they were so deep. Like the sea, I felt like I was drowning... _Summer Solstice, remember!_ That knocked me out of my inward speculation.  
"What will happen at the summer solstice?"  
The boy barely managed a whisper, "What?"  
I looked around, checking for Chiron or anyone else who might be listening in on us. "What's going on? What was stolen? We've only got a few weeks!" I hissed desperately.  
"I'm sorry," he said, sounding lost. "I don't..." He didn't know, he had to know something. That idiot had me sitting there for hours feeding him and all for nothing?  
I was about to press him further when there was a rap on the door, I filled the boy's moth with nectar so he was almost at choking point and threw the spoon down. What? It was a fair revenge, you try sitting in the same position for hours on end watching someone dribble while you feed them nectar and wait for them to wake up. That's what I thought. I raced out of the room, paused at the door and put on my invisibility cap and took when I got outside on the porch.  
"Annabeth." I spun around guiltily, thinking that Chiron had heard what I had been asking Percy.  
"Chiron, I'm...um...sorry."  
"For what child?" he asked, confused.  
"Um, for...uh," no way was I going to tell him what I had been going to say before. "Um, I don't know. I'm just messed up because of Grover and his hearing. Did he do okay?"  
"Annabeth...you know the rough times Grover has been through with rescuing, um, campers," I knew, Thalia had been my big sister; my everything and I had lost her.  
"But, the council, they'll give him another chance. Right?" My voice had meant to be strong and sure but instead it came out pleading and unsure.  
"Child...I do not know as yet. I advise you to pray to the gods that they'll give him another chance." Chiron said softly.  
"Oh."  
"But, um, there's someone I'd like you to meet."  
"Who?" I asked, curious.  
"Percy Jackson."  
"Percy J-," I stopped myself. "It's not by any chance the boy how I was just looking after?"  
"Yes, why?" Chiron asked raising an eyebrow.  
"I've already met him."  
"No well enough, he should know the person who helped nurse him back to health."  
_I don't want to meet the boy,_ I thought _Who had me putting all my hopes on him knowing about the solstice. But it turned out that the only thing he knew how to do was dribble._  
"Is there something the matter with that, Annabeth?"  
"Oh, no, no!" I said a little too quickly. Chiron raised an eyebrow but knew me well enough to know that I wasn't going to tell him what was on my mind.  
"I mean, uh, nothing's the matter."  
I could tell Chiron didn't believe me but he'd known me long enough to sense that I wasn't going to tell him what was really on my mind.  
"Well, wait here. Percy should be coming out in a few minutes." And he galloped away. I sighed. _Great. I have to re-meet the guy who dribbles when he sleeps. Great, just great._

I leaned against a rail near where couple of the Apollo campers were sitting down and talking.  
"He killed it," Johnny said."He ripped off the horn and shoved it right into its flesh. Raw talent."  
"And precise," said Lilly. "He would have to use just the correct balance of momentum and force to get just the perfect piercing stab."  
"What are you guys talking about?" I asked.  
Johnny nodded towards Percy who I hadn't even noticed had arrived. "Him is what we're talking about. Hades, what the whole _camp_ is talking about. The boy killed the _minotaur_."  
"What?" I almost yelled.  
"To save his mum, that was pretty heroic. It must have taken a _lot_ of courage,"  
"Killed the minotaur..." I whispered to myself. No regular demigod had ever killed the minotaur._No one_ at camp had ever gotten near enough, nobody was trained enough or skilful enough. This boy...he had _never_ been trained as far as I knew. He'd never been to camp and, on that, I was entirely sure. I'd been at camp for 5 years now, I knew everybody around here and I had never once seen Percy.  
I turned around; Percy was staring at Mr D with a look that was a cross between amusement and dislike.  
Grover whispered a warning to Percy about me polite to Mr D and told him my name then pointed to Chiron.  
"Mr Brunner!" _Whom_?  
Chiron turned around and grinned at Percy.  
"Ah, good, Percy," Chiron's eyes shone, like he was really pleased to see him. Chiron patted the chair next to Mr D who looked at him the way he looked at every single knew camper: a dark, heated sort of glare that was slightly marred by his drunkenness.  
"Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now don't expect me to be glad to see you."  
Percy took one look at Mr D, another at his chair then back and scooted his chair back. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't exactly blame him for moving, Mr D's real name was Dionysus. God of wine, merriment, drinking and all that rubbish. Although no one would say that to is face, though. Rumour had it that the last camper to say a bad word to him was strangled by grape vines.  
"Annabeth?" Chiron called to me; I stepped forward.  
"Sure, Chiron."  
I briefly considered saying something like, "Hey! You killed the Minotaur." or "That was pretty brave of you." I felt sorry about what had happened to his mother but I didn't want to bring it up, it might of upset him.  
Instead all I could think of to say was, "You drool when you sleep." It was neutral, not overly gentle or harsh. And a rightful statement, Percy had been lying there drooling for 5 hours.  
I could feel Jackson's confusion practically buzzing through the air and his eyes trying to decipher my thoughts but I turned on my heels and ran off down the hill to my cabin.  
I didn't know why but I felt almost instinctively angry towards him...weird.  
I needed more information on Percy, immediately


	2. Chapter 2 The New Kid Could Come In Han

Chapter 2. The New Kid Could Come In Handy...

Disclaimer:

This Fan fiction is based on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief book. I do not own any of the characters, books or really anything thing to do with the Lightning Thief. I'm just re-writing it in Annabeth's perspective.  
-

"Hey did you hear about Percy?"

"He drove a horn-"  
"Through the minotaur!"  
"Seriously-"  
"-so brave and..."  
"Cool!"  
"Wish I could-"  
"-have a chance at..."  
"real hero..."

The voices of my siblings buzzed through the air; all talking about Percy.

"Hey guys." I said, clapping my hands. "What's the deal with the boy?" I was curious, he could really be the One.

"Oh, well before he even KNEW he was a half blood he ripped of the horn from THE Minotaur and sliced it right into his flesh. People have been saying he could be the One." Oliver explain.

"Yeah, everyone. Even Chiron." Alice added.

"What? Chiron?" Chiron was extremely intelligent and the activities director at camp and if he thought Percy was the One then...

"Look, guys. I've got to go!" If he really was the One then I needed to talk to him. Find out a bit more about him.

"Ann-" someone started but I grabbed my architecture book and was out of the door before they could finish. I paced towards cabin 11 were Percy would go as he was unclaimed. I stood outside and read until I heard footsteps approaching me. I looked up and saw Chiron and...the boy, Percy.

I looked at him, uh. I felt that same sudden anger flush through me once again, I felt sorry for his mum but then I felt oddly like I should be hating him...

Idiot, I thought. His arms are as thin as sticks.. They looked like I could snap them, he had no muscles AT ALL and he just looked like your average guy. Normal, plain, nothing special. He had his eyes squinted hard, trying to read the cover of my book. See, the idiot can't even read Greek. Absolute dipstick, I thought sharply.

It was weird...I felt angry yet it didn't feel like the anger had come from feeding the boy nectar for 5 hours. It was something other...  
"Annabeth," Chiron asked. "I have masters' archery class at noon. Would you take Percy from here?"

No! an intense voice growled in my head. I blinked, suprised at my sudden impulse to yell at the boy. I pushed it away, what was with me today? "Yes, sir."

"Cabin eleven," he told Percy, waving his arm towards the Hermes cabin. "Make yourself at home."

The Hermes cabin, as always was crowded with all the unclaimed campers-of which there were lots plus the claimed Hermes kids. Basically it was crowded to the point of bursting. Chiron didn't enter, he was too tall for the door frame but when the campers saw him the stood and bowed as they should. Chiron was a great teacher-and the closest thing to a dad that I'd ever had... I shook the thought out of my head before it registered properly in my mind.

"Well, then," Chiron said. "Good luck, Percy. I'll see you at dinner." Then he galloped away to teach archery.

Percy just stood there, seeming frozen in the doorway. He looked from camper to campers who were scrutinizing him; deciding what to think of him. I would have been pretty uncomfortable but Percy looked pretty cool about it.

"Well?" I said. "Go on."  
He tripped as he walked in, some of the campers chuckled but no one said a word. Idiot, every one's counting on you to be the One. Live up to our expectations.

"Percy Jackson, meet cabin eleven,"  
"Regular or determined." Jerry, a determined Hermes boy asked.

Percy seemed confused, I resisted the urge to sigh. "Undetermined." everyone huffed.  
Luke stepped forward, he was tall and athletic. His arms curved perfectly like they had been sculpted, his blue eyes were twinkling...he seemed to look at me for a second and he had a smile on his face.

"This is Luke," my voice wavered and I could feel my face getting hot. I caught Percy staring at me and grimaced. "He's your councillor for now."

"For now?" Annoying, stupid, idiot... I sucked in a deep breath to calm myself and to stop myself from slapping him for being so annoying.

"You're undetermined," Luke said with slow coolness; he'd always had a gift for being kind and patient. "They don't know what Cabin to put you in, so you're here. Cabin eleven takes all newcomers, all visitors. naturally, we would. Hermes, our patron, is the god of travellers."

Percy looked at the small section of flooring that the cabiners had cleared out as much as they could for him. He looked at his Minotaur horn, then at the floor then at the cabiners who were staring mischievously at him. Probably thinking about the best way to pick-pocket him.

"How long will I be there?" Unlike Luke, I had no undying patience. I was trying my best not to beat the kid up.

"Good question," Luke said, still ever-patient. "Until you're determined."  
"How long will that take." No comment.

Everyone laughed.

"Come on," I said, fed up. He was making a complete fool of himself and he didn't even know it. How could a person be so outright dumb? I actually felt sorry for the boy; I threw him a life-jacket. "I'll show you the volleyball court."

"I've already seen it." ... ... ...  
"Come one." I said, losing all my patience, dragging him outside. The loud laughter of the Hermes cabin trailed behind us.  
When cabin eleven were out of earshot I hissed.

"Jackson, you have to do better than that."  
"What?" ABSOLUTE moron! I rolled my eyes, what was I thinking when I assumed he was the One?

"What's your problem?" Huh, oh. I didn't know I said that out loud; but it was true. How could a child of Athena be so STUPID? "All I know is, I kill some bull guy-" SOME BULL GUY? WAS THIS BOY OUT OF HIS HEAD?

"Don't talk like that!" I'd had it up to my head with this boy and his rubbish. "You know how many kids at this camp wish they'd had your chance?" Including me, especially me. I added silently.

"To get killed?" Bonkers, completely, absolutely bonkers.

"To fight the Minotaur! What do you think we train for?"

He shook his head, lost in thought. "Look, if the thing I found real was the Minotaur, the same one in the stories..." he trailed off.  
"Yes."  
"There's only one."

"Yes." His point?

"And he died, like, a gajillion years ago, right? Theseus killed him in the labyrinth. So..."

"Monsters don't die, Percy. They can be killed. But they don't die." I explained.  
"Oh, thanks. That clear it up." He said, sarcastically.

"They don't have souls, like you and me. You can dispel them for a while, maybe even for a whole lifetime if you're lucky. But they are primal forces. Chiron calls them archetypes. Eventually, they re-form."

Percy seemed lost in thought again. "You mean if I killed one, accidentally, with a sword-" So Jackson didn't really have a creative imagination. The Furies really did come after him; but why? He's not THAT powerful or important a half blood. He had proven himself that he wasn't a child of the Big Three.

"The Fu...I mean, your maths teacher. That's right. She's still out there. You just made her very, very mad."  
"How did you know about Mrs Dodds?" The boy had been sleeping for 5 hours, talking all the way through it. I had pretty much learnt everything about him and Mrs Dodds.

"You talk in your sleep." I stated.

"You almost called her something. A Fury? They're Hades's torturers, right?"

As an involuntary reaction I looked down at the ground, were Hades was. "You shouldn't call them by name, even here. We call them the Kindly Ones, if we have to speak of them at all." I explained, irritated. Names were powerful.

"Look, is there anything we can say without it thundering?" He sounded like a toddler, whining for sweets. I almost laughed in spite of myself.

"Why do I have to stay in cabin eleven, anyway? Why is everybody so crowded together? There are plenty of empty bunks right over there." He motioned to the first few cabins, including Zeus and Poseidon. Two of the Big Three. Hades had no cabin, he was an outcast to the

Olympians.

"You don't just choose a cabin, Percy. It depends on who your parents are. Or...your parent."

I looked at him expectantly. "My mom is Sally Jackson," he said. "She works at the candy store in Grand Central Station. At least, she used to."

His eyes grew sad.  
I worked to soften my tone. "I'm sorry about your mom, Percy. But that's not what I mean. I'm talking about your other parent. Your dad."

"He's dead. I never knew him."  
I sighed, I'd head this a million times before. "Your father's not dead, Percy."  
"How can you say that? You know him?"

"No, of course not."  
"Then how can you say-"

"Because I know you. You wouldn't be here if you weren't one of us."

"You don't know anything about me."

"No?" I raised an eyebrow, challenging him. I repeated the same speech that I had to lots of other new campers.

"I bet you moved around from school to school. I bet you were kicked out a lot of the."

"How-" Oh, but I wasn't finished yet.

"Diagnosed with dyslexia. Probably ADHD, too."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

He was turning slightly pink with embarrassment and I felt bad for him but I had a point to prove.

"Taken together, it's almost a sure sign. The letters float off the page when you read, right? That's because your mind is hardwired for ancient Greek. And the ADHD- you're impulsive, can't sit still in the classroom. That's your battlefield reflexes. In a real fight, they'd keep you alive. As for the attention problems, that's because you see too much, Percy, not too little. Your senses are better than a regular mortal's. Of course the teachers want you medicated. Most of them are monsters. They don't want you seeing them for what they are."

Percy looked up at me, his eyes wide and surprised. "You sound like...you went through the same thing?"

"Most of the kids here did. If you weren't like us, you couldn't have survived the Minotaur, much less the nectar and ambrosia."  
"Ambrosia and nectar." He said, stunned.

"The food and drink we were giving you to make you better," That I was feeding you for 5 stupid hours of my life. 5 hours I'll never get back. 5 whole hours for nothing!

Cool it Annabeth, cool it... I told myself. "That stuff would've killed a normal kid. It would've turn your blood to fire and your bones to sand and you'd be dead. Face it. You're a half-blood."

I could see his eyes were filled with questions when I heard Clarisse's voice. Uh, the big-headed, full of herself, stupid child of Ares.

"Clarisse," I sighed, why her? Why now? As much as Percy was irritating me and how I'd say through 5 hours of spoon feeding him AND him turning out to be nothing more than a big failure I didn't exactly want him to get pummelled by Clarisse. She was the most well-known, toughest, meanest bully at camp. And the biggest loser. Her versus this boy and Percy would become nothing more than a grease spot on the grass. "Why don't you go polish your spear or something?"

"Sure, Miss Princess." said the big idiot. "So I can run you through with it Friday night." Oh as if! The nerve...

"Errete es korakas," I cursed in ancient Greek meaning: go to the crows. It was a worse curse than it sounded. It basically translated as go to Hades. Meaning: drop dead. "You don't stand a chance."

"We'll pulverize you," But in Clarisse's eyes I could sense a flicker of uncertainty. I didn't blame her, Athena were the wisest, fastest, most skilled cabin at camp. The best- period, the end. She spun around.

"Who's this little runt?" Uh, oh.

"Percy Jackson," I said, giving up. She'd already seen him so what was the point, anyway? "meet Clarisse, Daughter of Ares."  
Percy blinked, surprised.

"Like...the war god?" Why did he sound like that? Athena was a WAY better war god than Ares. She was wiser, more skillful...  
Clarisse smirked. "You got a problem with that?"

Percy seemed to collect himself and started up with his usual casual sarcastic mannor. "No, it explains the bad smell."  
Clarisse growled; I bit my lip to hold back a giggle. The boy did have a point. "We got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy."  
"Percy."

"Whatever. Come on, I'll show you." Oh, no. This was really not good.  
"Clarisse-" I started to protest.  
"Stay out of it, wise girl."

I wanted to help the boy but there wasn't much I could do. It wasn't like I wasn't capable of stopping Clarisse but if I did that would just make her madder. Percy didn't seem to sense the danger at hand, he just got a determined look on his face and passed me his Minotaur horn. Then Clarisse grabbed him by the neck and tugged him towards the bathroom. No, no, no! This was really, really bad. Percy kicked, punched and tried his best to get free but Clarisse's meaty hands had a firm grip on him. Her friends laughed.

"Like he's 'Big Three' material," Clarisse said while dragging him into a toilet cubicle. "Yeah, right. Minotaur probably fell over laughing, he was so stupid-looking." More laughing; I didn't want to see what would happen next. I'd seen it happen again and again and again and again to new campers. And one thing was for sure: it was never pretty. I covered my eyes and peered through the tiny slits between my fingers.

Clarisse was about to plunge Percy's head into the toilet when something happened. Something in Percy's face changed and his eyes glowed with authority and power that I had never seen before. The plumbing shook and Clarisse's hand slipped away from Percy's hair. Water fired straight out of the toilet, making a perfect bridge right over Percy's head and Clarisse shoved Percy's back onto the bathroom tiles.  
More toilets erupted, spouting water everywhere.

She, and everyone else in the bathroom- including me, was soaking wet.

Clarisse and her friends clambered out of the door and the madly spraying water stuttered to halt then shut of completely.  
I looked at Percy, then at the flooded bathroom and back again. He was dry, the only thing in the room that was dry. Completely dry. Not even a drop, not a single one.

"How did you..." I started to ask.

"I don't know." he answered; he looked as confused as I was.

When we got outside Clarisse and her siblings were lying down, face flat in the mud. Ha ha, gods did they look embarrassing. But I couldn't really talk; I was dripping wet with toilet water and smelling of things you do NOT want to know about. But still, it was kind of funny. A crowd of campers were gathering around.

She glared at Percy with a look that she normally saved for me: incredulous loathing. And I'd earned that look since when Clarisse came to camp, which was a few years ago and this boy had earned it in no more than 10 minutes. As much as I hated to say it, it was pretty impressive, if I could just use those skills in capture that flag...

"You are dead, new boy. You are totally dead."

"You want to gargle with toilet water again, Clarisse? Close your mouth." he said, smirking at her slightly.

Clarisse lunged out to grab him but her friends grabbed her arms and held her back then dragged her towards the Ares cabin. Campers dodged sideways to avoid getting kicked by her writhing feet.

I looked at Percy, well...if he was powerful enough to do that, then he could still be the one. But Thalia hadn't been able to do that though, she didn't have any aquatic skills. She could summon lightning but not water. Water was more of a son of P- No, it wouldn't be him. It simply couldn't; I put the thought straight out of mind.

"What?" asked Percy. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking," I said. "that I want you on my team for capture the flag."

* * *

to A-Tribute-Called-Sarah :

hey thanks 4 the review! ill try my best on ur suggestion

i never read hunger games so i don't know the plot !  
even if i read ur fanfic i won't understand it !  
so sorry!

and thanks again

plz review review and also review


	3. Chapter 3 A New Rival Discl

Chapter 3. A New Rival

Disclaimer:

This Fan fiction is based on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief book. I do not own any of the characters, books or really anything thing to do with the Lightning Thief. I'm just re-writing it in Annabeth's perspective.  
-

AN: THAMKS 4 THE REVIEWS ILL SURELY CONTINUE THIS IF I GET NICE REVIEWS

Walking back through camp was like walking down the red carpet. Wherever Percy went, campers pointed at him and talked about the toilet water stunt. Although, I had a feeling that some of them may have just been looking at me: dripping wet from head to toe.  
I showed Percy some other places round camp like the metal shop were the Hephaestus kids were skilfully crafting their own swords, the arts-and-craft room ,were the satyrs were smoothing over a marble statue of the great god Pan. I usually liked arts and crafts, Athena being the arts and crafts goddess as were as strategic warfare and wisdom but the satyrs just reminded me of Grover and how he wanted to find Pan. The lava climbing wall which was basically two climbing walls opposite each other, pouring out hot, fiery lava and could squish you into a lava and demi-god sandwich if you didn't reach the top quick enough.  
At the end we ended up at the canoeing lake were there was a trail that headed back to the cabins. What if Percy was the one after all?  
"I've got training to do," I said, trying not to let my emotions show. "Dinner's at seven thirty. Just follow your cabin to the mess hall."  
"Annabeth, I'm sorry about the toilets." Apparently thinking that was the reason for my flat manor.  
"Whatever." I had more important things to think about than that.  
"It wasn't my fault."  
Huh, the boy makes the toilets explode, flood the bathroom and conveniently none of it touches you. I looked at him and he seemed to realise the fault in his words. He looked confused, like he didn't know how he'd made it happen. But it had happened all the same and regular demi-gods didn't make toilets explode.  
"You need to talk to the Oracle," I decided.  
"Who?"  
"Not who. What." I corrected. "The Oracle. I'll ask Chiron." The boy looked mystified as he looked into the lake, he needed to get a clue. I was tired of explaining. The Naiads smiled and waved at him and he actually waved back. Idiot.  
"Don't encourage them," once you got them started they'd never stop. "Naiads are terrible flirts."  
"Naiads," he said. His eyes took on a look that I recognised, overloaded. This was usually the point when most half-blood guys started to lose it. "That's it. I want to go home now."  
I frowned, they never understood, did they?  
"Don't you get it, Percy? You are home. This is the only safe place on earth for kids like us." I explained.  
"You mean, mentally disturbed kids?"  
I wanted to sigh but I tried to be patient with him. I needed him for Capture the Flag...and the other thing with the Oracle.  
"I mean not human. Not totally human, anyway. Half-human."  
"Half-human and half-what?" He asked, but I could tell in his eyes that he was just kidding himself.  
"I think you know."  
"God," he said, slowly and reluctantly. "Half-god."  
I nodded. "Your father isn't dead, Percy. He's one of the Olympians."  
"That's...crazy."  
This was the bit in the speech were I explained how the new kid came about "Is it? What's the most common thing gods did in old stories? They ran around falling in love with mortals and having kids with them. Do you think they've changed their habits in the last few millennia?"  
"But those are just-" He cut himself off. "But if all the kids here are half-gods-"  
"Demigods," I corrected. "That's the official term. Or half-bloods."  
"Then who's your dad?"  
My dad...I hated him.  
"My dad is a professor at west Point," I said. "I haven't seen him since I was very small. He teaches American history."  
"He's human." Sexist idiot. Just because males are portrayed as being all high and might it doesn't mean the women can't strong be too.  
"What? You assume it had to be a male god who finds a human female attractive? How sexist is that?"  
"Who's you mom, then?"  
"Cabin six."  
"Meaning?"  
"Athena. Goddess of wisdom and battle."  
He let it sink in. "And my dad?"  
"Undetermined," I said. "like I told you before. Nobody knows."  
"Except my mother. She knew."  
Poor kid, the gods were very,um, busy. Moving on from mortal to mortal and I doubted that this boy's mom even got a chance to get to know Percy's mum properly.  
"Maybe not, Percy. God's don't always reveal their identities."  
"My dad would have. He loved her." he said it like he really believed it, poor, poor kid. He looked so believing and I couldn't bring myself to burst his bubble.  
"Maybe you're right. Maybe he'll send a sign. That's the only way to know for sure; your father has to send you a sign claiming you as his son. Sometimes it happens." Well, it wasn't completely a lie. It did happen...once every hundred camper but I wasn't going to tell him that.  
"You mean sometimes it doesn't?" I guess I brought that one on myself.  
"The gods are busy. They have a lot of kids and they don't always...Well sometimes they don't care about us, Percy. They ignore us." There I said.  
He seemed to consider that, he didn't look hurt, he still looked believing. Poor, poor, poor kid.  
"So I'm stuck here," he said. "That's it? For the rest of my life?" Good question.  
"It depends," I explained. "Some campers only stay the summer. If you're a child of Aphrodite or Demeter you're probably not a real powerful force. The monsters might ignore you, so you can get by with a few months of summer training and live in the mortal world the rest of the year. But for some of us, it's too dangerous to leave. But for some of us, it's too dangerous to leave. We're year-rounders. In the mortal world, we attract monsters. They sense us. They come to challenge us. Most of the time, they'll ignore us until we're old enough to cause trouble- about ten or eleven years old- but after that most demigods either make their way here or they get killed off. A few manage to survive in the outside world and become famous. Believe me, if I told you their names, you'd know the. Some don't even realise they're demigods. But very, very few are like that."  
"So monsters can't get in here?"  
I shook my head. "Not unless they're intentionally stocked in the wood or specially summoned by somebody on the inside."  
"Why would anybody want to summon a monster?"  
"Practice fights. Practical jokes." Duh.  
"Practical jokes?" That's what I said, wasn't it?  
"The point is, the borders are sealed to keep mortals and monsters out. From the outside, mortals look into the valley and see nothing unusual, just a strawberry farm."  
"So...you're a year-rounder?" I nodded and pulled out my camp necklace. 5 beads for every year at camp, like Luke's, except mine had...my, uh, dad's...college ring.  
"I've been here since I was seven," I explained. "Every August, on the last day of summer session, you get a bead for surviving another year. I've been here longer than most of the councillors, and they're in college."  
"Why did you come so young?" Why should know? That nosy little...  
"None of your business."  
We stood there for a minute, in dead silence. "Oh," he shuffled awkwardly. "So...I could just walk out of here right now if I wanted to?"  
"It would be suicide, but you could, with Mr D's or Chiron's permission. But they wouldn't give permission until the end of the summer session unless..." Unless you're the one.  
"Unless?"  
"You were granted a quest. But that hardly ever happens. The last time..." My mind was filled with images of what had happened last time, Luke had gone, left for his quest and he came back with a long, red scar on his face that ran all the way from his eye to his mouth. After that he'd seemed really...  
"Back in the sick room," Percy's voice interrupted my thoughts. "when you were feeding me that stuff-"  
"Ambrosia."  
"yeah. You asked me something about the summer solstice."  
"So you do know something?" I felt a flash of that weird anger again. I brushed it to the side. Come on, oh, good sweet, honest, wise Athena. Please...please let him know.  
"Well...no. Back at my old school, I overheard Grover and Chiron talking about it. Grover mentioned the summer solstice. he said something like we didn't have much time, because of the deadline. What did that mean?"  
Well, at least it's some information. But 5 hours of my precious, precious time... "I wish I knew. Chiron and the satyrs, they know, but they won't tell me. Something is wrong in Olympus, something pretty major. Last time I was there, , everything seemed so normal.  
"You've been to Olympus?" He asked, surprised.  
"Some of us year-rounders - Luke and Clarisse and I and a few others- we took a field trip during winter solstice. That's when the gods have their big annual council."  
"But...how did you get there?" Was he joking?  
"The Long Island Railroad, of course. You get off at Penn Station. Empire State Building, special elevator to the six-hundredth floor." I looked at him and he looked pretty serious. He talked like a New Yorker and he looked like one.  
"You are a New Yorker, right?"  
"Oh, sure." But he still looked unsure, however I wasn't in the mood for explaining to him about the proceeds of getting to Olympus.  
"Right after we visited," I continued, "the weather got weird, as if the gods had started fighting. A couple of time since, I've overheard satyrs talking. The best I can figure out is that something important was stolen. And if it isn't returned by the summer solstice, there's going to be trouble. Athena can get along with just about anybody, except for Ares. And of course she's got the rivalry with Poseidon. But, I mean, aside from that, I thought we could work together. I thought you might know something."  
He shook his head, he looked like he wanted to ask lots of more question and help me but he looked exhausted.  
"I've got to get a quest," I said to myself. "I'm not too young. If they would just tell me the problem..."  
The food from the dining pavilion drifted towards us and Percy's stomach rumbled.  
"Go on," I told him. "I'll catch you later."  
I moved my fingers along the metal pole, forging a plan. I stayed there until it was 8, then I went back to my cabin told my siblings what was going to happen.  
"So, here's how it's going to work..."

The next morning in the dining pavilion I ate my breakfast with my siblings. I had chosen just a simple cereal bar and was nibbling on it slowly, I wasn't really very hungry—I felt restless and alert. Anticipating what would happen tonight. I looked over to the Hermes table were Luke was talking to the Stoll brothers, they were laughing about something or the other. Luke look handsome when he laughed, Hades, Luke always looked handsome. He had sandy blond hair that was long and wavy and hung down framing his sharp, elfish chin; his blue eyes so shiny in the light. I had a flash back of Percy's eyes...so green, so deep and then looked at Luke's eyes once more, comparing them. What? I snapped at myself. Why think of Percy now? Luke noticed me staring at me and winked, I caught my breath and hoped that I wasn't as red as I felt. I turned back to my table and tried to seem interested in the conversation, ignoring the fact that I could feel Luke's eyes boring through my back. I must say, it wasn't hard to get absorbed in the conversation.  
"So, what do you think about the Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall of China?" my brother Malcolm said.  
"Well, personally I think that the Great Wall of China is much tougher, much harder." Lizzie replied.  
"Well the Eiffel Tower is 324m tall, that's like the same height as an 81—story building plus it's in much better condition that the Great Wall." I retorted.  
"Only because it's been knocked down to make room for properties and such." Leah responded.  
"Some parts of it are crumbling due to erosion because it wasn't built with enough care unlike the Eiffel Tower." Malcolm pointed out before I could.  
We argued about which was best until Chiron was told us to get to our training.  
The day passed quickly and before I knew it it was the evening and time for Capture the Flag.

Everyone shouted white I and my two sisters carried the Athena banner: grey background, a barnyard owl above an olive tree. Opposite us were Clarisse and her siblings carrying the Ares banner: blood red background, bloody spear and a boar's ugly head.  
I could feel the excitement building in the air.  
"We are so going to win!" I yelled to my sister, Lizzie.  
"Hades, yeah we are!" She grinned and I couldn't help but laugh. Everyone was in a good mood and Luke had a smile on his face. His lips were pink, so soft...  
Chiron's voice snapped me out of my reverie and announced the teams. Athena with Hermes and Apollo and Ares with everyone else: Demeter, Aphrodite, Hephaestus and Dionysus. Even though they had more cabins on their side, the numbers were roughly equal. Hermes and Apollo were the biggest cabins at camp and out opposition wasn't all the hard to beat either. Demeter could control plants and stuff but weren't very aggressive, Aphrodite just sat down, looking at their reflections and marvelled at their own beauty, Hephaestus had huge muscles and were strong from working in the forges for so long, Dionysus could do pretty much everything well but there were only two of them, we could take them down easily. Then there were the Ares cabin- as much as I hated to admit our main concern. They were strong, tough and very, very, VERY aggressive. Not that we weren't, I mean not aggressive all the time but we were smart and strategic. We had a killer plan and we were going to win! I said to myself but I still felt unsure, I'd seen Clarisse beat people to a pulp millions of times before and it was never pretty.  
Chiron stomped his hoof on the marble flooring.  
"Heroes!" He yelled. "You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items area allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed, and have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!"  
Chiron stretched his arms out and armoury filled the tables.  
I looked over to see Percy, staring at the armour in amazement. When he put it on it was hanging off him, his helmet was practically dropping off his head and his shield was nearly as big as him. Ha ha, I smirked.  
"Ready?" I heard my brother Malcolm ask from behind me.  
"Ready." I agreed.  
"Blue team, forward!" I ordered.  
Athena's side cheered and followed me towards the south woods as the red team yelled insults at as they went the other way.  
I heard a noise like metal plates clashing against each over and then Percy was walking next to me, struggling to keep up in his baggy armour.  
"Hey."  
I marched onwards; I didn't have time for this.  
"So what's the plan?" he asked. "Got any magic items you can loan me."  
Automatically my hand patted my pocket were I kept my Yankees cap of invisibility. I felt the smooth, curved material under my hand. It wasn't that I actually thought Percy would steal anything, it's just that I was so used to Hermes kids sneaking things out of my pockets. They were the best pick pockets around in camp, there dad was god of thieves and Luke had a gift for slipping things out of my pockets without me noticing. It wasn't annoying...it was kind of charming.  
"Just watch Clarisse's spear," I told him. "You don't want that thing touching you. Otherwise, don't worry. We'll take the banner from Ares. Has Luke given you your job?"  
"Border patrol, whatever that means."  
"It's easy. Stand by the creek, keep the reds away. Leave the rest to me. Athena always has a plan."  
I left Percy doing Border Patrol by the edge of the creek. Our team's plan, which Percy most certainly wasn't aware of, was to use him as bate to the Ares cabin. That would distract them from the rest of us who would be concentrating on getting our hands on the flag. We'd practically won already; I could hear the Ares cabin running ready to ambush Percy, uh oh. From what I had seen the new boy wasn't very good at the camp sports and what with him making Clarisse gargle toilet water, the Ares cabin weren't going to be very happy. I felt a pang of guilt race through me, poor boy. He was about to get pulverised, I ran as fast as I could towards Percy.  
"Cream the punk!" Ugh...Clarisse's voice. Then a stampede of Clarisse's siblings crowded around Percy, Clarisse had her long spear with her. Oh, no. This was not going to be good. Amazingly Percy managed to dodge the first Ares kid's sword but the cabin just kept on getting closer and closer and closer. I ran faster, I needed to get over there before they beat the poor kid black and blue. Clarisse aimed at Percy with her spear. Percy defended himself with his metal shield. Not good, not good at all. I forgot to tell Percy that it was-  
Percy's hair frizzed up, his body jolted as a shock ran through his body, his sword arm began to slowly lower. He looked ready to faint. Note to self: Next time tell the next new kid that Clarisse's spear is electric. He fell backwards. Get up Percy, GET UP! I wanted to scream but that would only draw attention to myself and I couldn't help him if I was busy defending myself. I couldn't run faster than this either and I couldn't see a way to get through the crowd. I was never going to make it there in time. Some stupid Ares kid decided to torture Percy further by hitting him with the end of his sword butt. Ouch. Clarisse and her siblings laughed until they went red in the face.  
"Give him a haircut," Clarisse commanded, "Grab his hair." Come on run Annabeth, run, run! The new kid unsteadily rose again, forcing his arm to hold his sword up again. This one was brave. Clarisse pounded it out of his hand with her spear. By this time Percy looked ready to run, but of course he couldn't. He was surrounded. If I could only get round them somehow without getting noticed.  
"Oh wow," Clarisse taunted. "I'm really afraid of this guy. Really scared."  
"The flag is that way." He said hopelessly gesturing towards it.  
"Yeah," one of her crazy siblings said. "But see, we don't care about the flag. We care about the guy who made our cabin look stupid."  
"You do that without my help." Ha, ha. So true! but completely inappropriate and irrelevant for the circumstances. A couple of Clarisse siblings stalked towards Percy, he walked backwards towards the creek. Come on Annabeth! Figure out a way to get to Percy already! That was it! I wanted to kick myself for not figuring out before, I stuck on my Yankees cap. He started to lift his shield but Clarisse, fast as lightning, shocked Percy again. Another of her siblings drew his sword against Percy's arm leaving behind a trail of blood. The cut was deep, very deep. Percy looked like he was losing conscience. I needed a plan no. 2. No, no, no! Fight Percy, fight with all your heart! STAY AWAKE PERCY! I realised that if I snuck up on the Ares cabin they would know it was me and attack me like Percy. I looked around for help but there was no one around but me, the Ares cabin (who hadn't noticed me because I was invisible), and Percy. "No maiming." Idiot! Do they look like they care?  
"Oops," the boy said sarcastically. "Guess I lost my desert privilege." And with a hard shove, he pushed Percy into the creek where he landed with a huge SPLASH. They doubled over laughing. Not funny! The boy was about to die, I was about to risk everything and run in to save him when something in Percy's eyes stopped me. He blinked, he seemed...awake. Clarisse and her siblings advanced into the creek but Percy stood up. I didn't know what happened in the next second, Percy seemed completely energized. He fought his way through the Ares cabin, jabbing and slicing and shielding along his way. The cabin started to back up, all apart from Clarisse. Percy threw his sword at Clarisse spear and with a loud CRACK is split in half. He did this like it was every day that he went around braking spears. Whoa, no one could break Clarisse's spear. Not even my, the Athena, cabin who were also the children of a war god but much smarter, coordinated, better trained and more strategic.  
"Ah!" she yelled. "You idiot! You corpse-breath worm!" I knew those words were only a mere dot on her cuss list but Percy smacked her backwards out of the creek. Impressive, he didn't need my help at all and skilful too. He must be a child of Athena...but he didn't look like one. Hmm... Just then Luke streaked past them toward the boundary line with the red team's banner waving proudly in the air. Ah...Luke was so skilful and kind and caring and... Clarisse's voice broke through my thoughts.  
"A trick! It was a trick." Duh!  
They wobbled after Luke but he was too fast for them. All our team cheered. WOO-HOO! We had won, all thanks to Luke; he was such a professional at everything. Ah... Oh-and thanks to Percy of course. Hermes's caduceus materialised onto the red banner, the symbol of Luke's cabin, cabin 11. Everyone picked up Luke and hauled him up onto their shoulders. Chiron blew the conch horn, finalising it. We had won! WOOP-WOOP! The cheering grew louder. I wanted to thank Luke but he was busy getting carried around by our team, I decided to go over and congratulate Percy. He did well for a new kid. Hades, he did well for any half-blood. I stepped into the creek beside him. "Not bad, hero." I casually complemented. Percy looked around. Oh, I forgot. He didn't know about my Yankees hat that my mum, the great goddess, Athena bought me for my birthday. It made me turn invisible; it came in handy for dealing with monsters. Mum always knew what to buy me for my birthday, I smiled. "Where the heck did you learn how to fight like that?" I said, taking off my cap.  
"You set me up." he stated, not even taken aback the way most newbies were when they found out that I had a cap of invisibility. That must have meant that he was really mad. I didn't blame him, he would've been killed had it not of been for those impressive fighting skills of his. "You had it all figured out."  
I shrugged. "I told you. Athena always, always has a plan."  
"A plan to get me pulverised." Well yeah...but it worked.  
I looked down and caught sight of his arm. It had been bleeding a minute ago but now...it was almost completely healed.  
"Sword cut. What do you think?"  
"No it was a sword cut. Look at it." He examined his arm with a confused look on his face.  
"I-I don't get it." I thought hard. Right, Percy was tired and injured when he was on dry land, in the water he healed fast and had amazingly good fighting skills. Those eyes of his...those green eyes they reminded me of the sea. I remembered when he woke up when I was feeding him; his eyes made me feel like I was drowning. No, no, no, no, no! It COULDN'T be him, it couldn't.  
"Step out of the water, Percy." There was only one way to test my theory.  
"What-"  
"Just do it."  
He stepped out of the creek and instantly looked ready to collapse again. I gently steadied him with my arms.  
"Oh, Styx." I was right. Hades, for the love of the gods. Styx, Styx, Styx! "This is not good. I didn't want...I assumed it would be Zeus..." Then I heard it, a howl that could only belong to a monster. But that wasn't right...no mortals or monsters could get past the barriers at camp unless they were summoned by someone from camp. There was a deadly silence as the howls grew closer and closer and... "Stand ready! My bow!" ordered Chiron is Ancient Greek. I drew my sword, prepared to defend Percy. Son of...of...that dirty god or not. He didn't deserve to die. And there the monster was a hellhound and it was staring directly at Percy with its evil inferno-coloured eyes. Nobody moved except me. "Percy run!" I warned him. I had to defend him, I started to step in front of him but there was no stopping this hellhound, it sprung over me and hit Percy. He faltered backwards and the hellhound's serrated teeth tore through his armour, then Chiron fired. Around the hellhound's neck vegetated a wild array of arrows. Then the monster dropped dead at Percy's heels. That was good but Percy was seriously injured. His chest was bleeding rapidly, the cut was at least 5 layers of skin deep. Chiron galloped over to us, his face was sober.  
"Di immortals," I said. "That's a hellhound from the Fields of Punishment. They don't...they're not supposed to..." My words broke off in my throat. I could say it.  
"Someone summoned it," Chiron completed for me. "Someone inside the camp." Luke walked over, uneasy.  
"It's all Percy's fault! Percy summoned it!" No he didn't!  
"Be quiet, child," Chiron chided her. I smirked internally. We watched as the hellhound slowly disintegrated into the ground.  
"You're wounded. Quick, Percy, get into the water."  
"I'm okay." he protested weakly.  
"No you're not," I said. "Chiron watch this." Percy seemed too exhausted to say no. He stepped into the creek, all the campers drew closer around Percy. Then as soon as he hit the water his wound started to heal, until it was nothing more than a small scratch which was quickly fading away. A few of the other campers caught their breath. I could see a sign beginning to materialize above his head it...similar to the one that appear when I was first claimed except it was Poseidon's trident. It claimed all my fears.  
"Look, I-I don't know why," he was trying to apologize. But no apology could solve this. "I'm sorry..."  
"Percy," I pointed towards it . "Um..." He looked up and for the first time he seemed to realize the hologram above his head.  
"Your father," I whispered. "This is really not good."  
"It is determined," Chiron declared. Everyone got to their knees and bowed the way we had when...Thalia had been claimed. Even the Ares cabin unwillingly bowed down, I bowed quickly to get it over with. I couldn't believe it bowing to that rat's son? It was shameful, it was disgusting and it was disgraceful.  
"My father?" asked Percy, completely clueless.  
"Poseidon," said Chiron. "Earth shaker, Storm bringer, Father of Horses. Hail Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God."  
Perseus, I thought distantly, so that was his full name. It sounded more mature, more heroic than Percy. His mother named him after Zeus's hero child. How strange.  
Then the words finally registered. I knew why I'd been having such negative feelings towards Percy. They were a reaction, my demigod subconscious trying to tell me who he was.  
Great, I thought So now he's claimed...as my mother's rival's son. Perfect.  
Percy Jackson was just about to become my new rival.

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	4. I Help the Less Intellectually Gifted

Chapter 4. I Help the Less Intellectually Gifted a.k.a Percy

Disclaimer:  
This Fan fiction is based on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief book. I do not own any of the characters, books or really anything thing to do with the Lightning Thief. I'm just re-writing it in Annabeth's perspective.

The next few days after that were kind of awkward and filled with anger. How could Percy be the son of Poseidon? Why not Athena, or Hermes, or Apollo. Even Ares would have been better than this. But no he had to be the son of Poseidon. Why? Now I knew why I automatically disliked this boy. I was right, he was nothing special. Your average guy, no more important than your regular mortal. He was powerless, nothing, his only affinity was being as seaweed brained as his thick-headed father.  
Chiron moved Percy into cabin 3 and everyone skirted round him. Once or twice I'd catch him staring at me with pained eyes, like he expected me to talk to him or say something. But I ignored him, I had to. The only time I ever talked him was when I had to teach him ancient Greek in the mornings. Every time he said something it was stupid and I grimaced at him with open distaste.  
One morning, I woke up to the sound of my siblings chattering away about something.  
"Guys?" I sat up and looked at the clock on the side of the cabin wall. It read 6; breakfast wasn't until 9. We were up early...but why? "What's all this noise?"  
"Annabeth. Chiron's going to grant Percy a quest," Malcolm told me.  
"Now?"  
"Yes, Mr D said he wants to turn Percy into dolphin or something if he doesn't say yes to it."  
"I got up early to do some reading on the porch," my sister, Emma, told me. "I overheard Mr D say it to Chiron. They want to make Percy see the Oracle."  
Quest, Poseidon, Athena, Percy, me! Argh! I suddenly felt exhausted. "Guys, what do I do? Honour Athena or go on the quest?"  
"I think you should go," Lilly said.  
"Yeah," Alice agreed. "You've wanted to do this for ages. I'm sure mum would agree that you see the world. Put your training into practice."  
"I suppose..." It kind of made sense and I didn't HAVE to be nice to Percy to go questing with him. I just had to help him out, he was most probably the One.  
"Call it helping the less intellectually gifted." Megan laughed.  
"Yeah, thanks guys." I smiled and sped off to the showers to get ready.  
I ran towards Chiron and Grover who were sitting down in the Big House.  
"Chiron, I'd like to help Percy with the quest."  
"Perfect timing, that makes our third quest member. If, of course, Percy survives the Oracle."  
"Percy, you better survive it. You may be my only chance to see the outside world so come back sane." I thought.  
Chiron ran through everything, apparently the Big Three were all angry at each other. Zeus's lightning bolt had been stolen and the main suspect was Percy. Only he didn't have it and if we didn't get it back the summer solstice then there would be war between the gods. That was bad. Very bad, whenever gods had arguments they usually destroyed the world leaving half of civilization dead and the other half homeless and injured.  
"Annabeth," Chiron lowered his voice. "You know about the Big Three prophecy... I do believe Percy may be the one." His eyes were concerned.  
"Why Percy? Why him?" Grover swallowed a piece of the aluminium can which his was holding in his hand.  
"I'll protect him, Chiron." I promised. The boy wouldn't die; I'd make sure of that.  
"I know you will Annabeth, I know you will." Chiron murmured.  
Percy's footsteps sounded down the stairs. I put on my cap of invisibility.  
"Well?" Chiron asked him as Percy slouched down into a chair .  
"She said I would retrieve what was stolen."  
Grover leaned forward, ripping of chunks of the Diet Coke can and swallowing them rapidly. "That's great!"  
"What did the Oracle say exactly?" Chiron urged. "This is important." Percy seemed green, he looked like he felt sick and his eyes were slightly unfocussed. He looked dizzy, he seemed stunned from the Oracle. "She...she said I would go west and face the god who had turned. I would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned." The prophecy didn't sound complete...something was missing.  
"I knew it," Goat Boy said.  
Chiron knew better though. "Anything else?"  
Percy's eyes flickered slightly and he seemed reluctant.  
"No," he said but his voice wavered subtly. "That's about it."  
Chiron scrutinized his face, I had a feeling that he knew Percy was lying but didn't want to push him any further. "Very well, Percy. But know this: the Oracle's words often have double meanings. Don't dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until the events come to pass." I could tell Chiron felt guilty, he wasn't telling Percy about his future. The prophecy about the Big Three...the very thought of it sent shivers down my spine.  
"Okay," Percy said, seeming to want to change the subject. "If Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other in a war, who stands to gain?" Oh, no. Not that evil god.  
"Somebody else who wants to takeover?" No, you don't say thicko.  
"Yes, quite. Someone who harbours a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world divided aeons ago, whose kingdom would grow powerful with the deaths of millions. Someone who hates his brothers for forcing him into an oath to have no children, an oath that both of them have now broken."  
Percy seemed to remember something. "Hades." Well, duh! That one was pretty obvious.  
Chiron nodded in solemnly.  
"The Lord of the Dead is the only possibility."  
Aluminium fell out of Grover's mouth which was gaping open. "Whoa, wait. Wh-what?"  
"A Fury came after Percy," Chiron explained. "She watched the young man until she was sure of his identity, then tried to kill him. Furies obey only one Lord: Hades."  
"Yes, but- but Hades hates all heroes," Grover said, desperately. "Especially if he has found out Percy is a son of Poseidon..."  
"A hellhound got into th forest," Chiron carried on. "Those can only be summoned in the field of Punishment, and it had to be summoned by someone within the camp. Hades must have a spy here. He must suspect Poseidon will use Percy to clear his name. Hades would very much like to kill this young half-blood before he can take the quest."  
"Great," Percy murmured. "That's two major gods who want to kill me." I felt the odd urge to smile at this sarcastic remark.  
"But a quest to..." Grover gulped. "I mean, couldn't the master bolt be in some place like Maine? Maine's very nice this time of year."  
"Hades sent a minion to steal the master bolt," Chiron said; he was right. "He hid it in the Underworld, knowing full well that Zeus would blame Poseidon. I don't pretend to understand the Lord of the Dead's motives perfectly, or why he chose this time to start a war, but one thing is certain. Percy must go to the Underworld, find the master bolt, and reveal the truth."  
"You don't have to go," Percy said, softly. "I can't ask that of you." But I noticed that he stiffened a fraction.  
"Oh..." Grover shuffled his hooves. "No...it's just that satyrs and underground places...well..."  
He inhaled then brushed the remainder of the alumni on cans off his t-shirt. "You saved my life, Percy. If...if you're serious about wanting me along, I won't let you down."  
Percy looked like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders as he relaxed into his seat again.  
"All the way G-man," G-man? Whatever, maybe it was some sort of boy's nickname thing. Maybe I should make up one for Percy, maybe fish boy, water kid. No, something more insulting... "So where do we go? The Oracle just said to go west." Idiot!  
"The entrance to the Underworld is always in the west. It moves from age to age, just like Olympus. Right now, of course, it's in America."  
"Where?" This boy was so irritating... I needed to think of a good, insulting nickname for him. Sea boy? No, too nice. Salmon?  
Chiron raised his eyebrows, probably surprised somebody could be so clueless. I was pretty used to it by now, Percy didn't know very much. It was like he had water for brains...brine for brains boy?  
Chiron explained that the entrance to the Underworld was in Los Angeles.  
"Oh," Percy said. "Naturally. So we just get on a plane-" Correction: I was NOT yet used to how stupid Percy was. Did he actually WANT to get killed?  
"No!" Grover yelled. "Percy, what are you thinking? Have you ever been on a plane in your life?"  
Percy shook his head, his face lightly colouring pink.  
"Percy, think," Chiron told him. "You are the son of the Sea God. Your father's bitterest rival is Zeus, Lord of the Sky. Your mother knew better than to trust you in an aeroplane. You would be in Zeus's domain. You would never come down again alive."  
As if to prove Chiron's point, lightning flashed through the sky and thunder rumbled overhead.  
"Okay," Percy said. Not looking, I noticed, at the storm. " So, I'll travel overland."  
"That's right," Chiron approved. "Two companions may accompany you. Grover is one. The other has already volunteered, if you will accept her help." I nearly scoff, if he ACCEPTED my help. As if I would take no for an answer, plus, he die without my help. The boy was about as bright a clump of seaweed.  
"Gee," Percy said, his voice heavily saturated with fake curiosity. "Who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a quest like this?"  
I pulled of my cap and put it in my pocket. Seaweed...boy. Brain, seaweed brain! Got it!  
"I've been waiting a long time for a quest, Seaweed Brain," I told him. "Athena is no fan of Poseidon, but if you're going to save the world. I'm the best person to keep you from messing up.  
"If you do say for yourself," Percy said, his tone lightening with sarcastic amusement. His eyes sparkled. "I suppose you have a plan, Wise Girl?" How dare he...  
I flushed with anger. "Do you want my help or not?" I snapped.  
The shimmer in his eyes faded and his voice can out reluctant and resigned. "A trio," he said. "That'll work."  
Chiron told us that camp would be taking us to the bus terminal in Manhattan then we were on our own and that we should get packing.

AN: THANKS :- allen r , lllgokuSSJ10lll , MidnightBoredom , AND A-Tribute-Called-Sarah

THANKS 4 THE REVIEWS PLZ GIVE MORE REVIEWS BECAUSE IT BOOSTS MY CONFIDENCE .


	5. Chapter 5 Our Bus Goes Up With a Bang

Chapter 5. Our Bus Goes Up With a Bang

Disclaimer:  
This Fan fiction is based on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief book. I do not own any of the characters, books or really anything thing to do with the Lightning Thief. I'm just re-writing it in Annabeth's perspective.

I packed my magic Yankees cap, a birthday present from my mother, Athena. A deeply informative and inspiring architecture book written in Ancient Greek, of course (dyslexia made it pretty hard for me to read modern, mortal languages) and my special bronze knife that Luke had given to me when I was younger. Grover wore his stuffed shoes and his green rasta cap as his horns peeked through his hair when it rained. He brought his reed pipes and in his backpack had at least a year's supply of tin cans and apples.  
We waved goodbye to the other campers and visited a few places to before heading off to meet Chiron and Argus.  
"This is Argus," Chiron explained to Percy. "He'll drive you into the city, and, er, well keep an eye on things." I heard familiar footsteps that could only belong to Luke. He sprinted up the hill, in his hands carrying the shoes that his dad, Hermes, had given to him on his first quest. What was he doing with those?  
"Hey!" he huffed, sweat streaking down his forehead. He looked to cute when he was tired...ah, Luke. "Glad I caught you." I could feel my face going red, I really had to stop doing that in front of Luke. He would, if he hadn't already, start thinking that I was crazy.  
"Just wanted to say good luck," aw...how sweet of him. "And I thought...um, maybe you could use these." he gave Percy the sneakers. What the Hades?  
"Maia!" Luke exclaimed.  
Pale white bird's wings shot up from the shoes. They flapped around fiercely, Percy, being his careless stupid son-of-Poseidon self, dropped the shoes. They flapped around a little on the ground and then the wings overlapped themselves and disappeared. "Awesome!" Grover commented. Luke smiled that heart-warming smile of his, it made my own heart flip. I felt like I was melting down into jelly. "Those served me well when I was on my quest. Gift from Dad. Of course, I don't use them much these days..." his voice trailed off, his face turned gloomy. I felt sad for him...poor Luke, his quest didn't go so well. I wanted to comfort him by wrapping my arms around his waist and...  
"Hey, man," Percy broke through my 'comforting Luke' daydream. "Thanks." he was blushing, but not as much as me though. I didn't think anyone could blush darker than me and that moment.  
"Listen Percy...," Luke looked awkward. "A lot of hopes are riding on you. So just...kill some monsters for me, okay?" He shook Percy's hand. Stupid Seaweed Brain! I wanted to shake Luke's hand and feel it all warm around mine...ah... Luke patted Grover's head, being careful not to poke his horns and then hugged me. I felt ready to keel over, I felt those nice, warm, strong arms around me.  
I felt dizzy and sick but in a good way. It was like I was floating on the clouds, Luke was here with me and no one else was here. Just Luke and me together, hugging.  
I could of stood there all day...  
"You're hyperventilating." Percy observed when Luke was gone.  
"Am not." Maybe I was but I wasn't about to admit it.  
"You let him capture the flag instead of you, didn't you?" Grr...  
"Oh...why do I want to go anywhere with you, Percy?" I clomped down the other side of the hill. Son-of-the-stupid-sea-god was annoying me. I walked over to the SUV which would be transporting us towards the bus stop. I could sense Argus's multiple eyes on my back and I could hear his keys clanging into each other, he opened the door of the car and gestured for me to go in without a word. He didn't talk- at all. Camp legend had it that the reason was that he had an eye on his tongue, freaky. I sat and waited for Percy and Grover there for 15 minutes then Argus. We drove along the western side of Long Island. Percy stared outside the window. "So far so good." he told me. "Ten miles and not a singled monster." Don't jinx it you idiot!  
"It's bad luck to talk that way, seaweed brain."  
"Remind me again-why do you hate me so much?" Harsh...but by the way I'd been treating him lately it was kind of a reasonable deduction.  
"I don't hate you." I very, very, very, very highly disliked him but I didn't hate him. That was a little extreme.  
"Could've fooled me."  
I folded up my hat, trying to find a way to explain.  
"Look...we're just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals."  
"Why?" WHY?! WHY? He really was a Seaweed Brain.  
I sighed. "How many reasons do you want? One time my mum caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in Athena's temple, which is hugely disrespectful. Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be patron god of the city Athens. Your dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mum created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her."  
"They must really like olives." Idiot, couldn't he understand anything? Just one little, tiny fact?  
"Oh, forget it." What was the point of explaining to him anyway?  
"Now, if she'd invented pizza- that I could understand." Irrelevant, much?  
"I said, forget it!"  
Argus let us go at a bus station on the Upper East Side, gave us our stuff and waited until we got our tickets before heading back to camp. Percy turned around, staring at something in the distance. "Probably daydreaming," I thought, rolling my eyes. Classic seaweed brain. Grover walked over to him, talking to him about something. I ignored them, putting on my bag. I saw a family, a mortal family, with two small kids and a mother and father. The mother and father were booking at each other with love in their eyes. The children were laughing, their faces lighting up with joy. I felt a pang of jealousy, my parents were never going to get together and I'd never fit into my mortal family.  
Percy and Grover came back a minute or so later. We waited and waited and waited but the bus seemed like it'd never come. Percy started to fidget and I twitched my foot. ADHD made it pretty hard for me to keep still for long. Grover suggested we play Hacky Sack with my apple. I thought I did okay at it and Percy's movements were pretty cool too. I liked the game, it gave us something to do...at least until Grover ate the whole apple. He tried to apologise but Percy and I were convulsing with laughter. Soon after that the bus arrived. Grover started sniffing the air, his eyes flicking around like tennis balls in a match.  
"What is it?" Percy asked.  
"I don't know," Grover said, sounding edgy. "Maybe it's nothing." Percy looked worried and started looking around to. I was concerned too, if it was a monster then we'd have to fight it and keep Percy safe. He couldn't get hurt, we was the one.  
We were on the bus when I spotted...her. I placed my hand on Percy's knee meaningfully. "Percy." He looked up and saw her, the Kindly One. She look really ugly, she wore a creased dress, gloves and a hat that looked like it had been knitted by herself and that she wasn't a very good knitter by the way it shapelessly bent over and cast a dark shadow over her face. In her hand she held a big purse. Percy shrunk down into his seat beside me. Then two more came in, they looked like exact duplicates of the other Kindly Ones except one had a green hat and the other had a purple one. They sat behind the bus driver, the two nearest to the aisle formed an X with their legs. I knew what it meant. "No one will escape." we were dead meat.  
"She didn't stay dead long," Percy whispered. "I thought you said they could be dispelled for a lifetime."  
"I said if you're lucky," I corrected. "You're obviously not."  
"All three of them," Goat Boy moaned. "Di immortals!"  
"It's okay," I said, not sure if I was reassuring him or myself. I needed a plan and fast. "The Furies. The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem. No problem. We'll just slip out the windows."  
"They don't open." Grover bleated.  
"A back exit?" There was no exit.  
"They won't attack us with witnesses around," Percy asked. "Will they?"  
"Mortals don't have good eyes," I reminded him. "Their brains can only process what they can see through the Mist."  
"They'll see three old ladies killing us, won't they?"  
I thought hard, I couldn't be sure. "Hard to say. But we can't count on mortals for help. Maybe and emergency exit in the roof...?" The bus stopped at the Lincoln Tunnel, whole bus went pitch black with the exception the lights on the aisle which cast grey shadow across the walls. Fury no. 1 stood up and in a voice that sounded recited she said to everyone passenger on the bus: "I need to use the restroom."  
"So do I," said Fury no. 2  
"So do I," repeated Fury no.3  
They started down the aisle.  
"I've got it," I had a good idea. "Percy, take my hat."  
"What?"  
"You're the one they want. Turn invisible and go up the aisle. Let them pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away."  
"But you guys-"  
"There's an outside chance that they might now notice us," I explained. "You're a son of the Big Three. Your smell might be overpowering." I couldn't lose Percy on the quest. Seaweed brain or no Seaweed Brain if he died I'd never get to complete my first quest.  
"I can't just leave you."  
"Don't worry about us," Grover said. "Go!" He put on the Yankees cap and immediately disappeared. I didn't know were Percy was, I couldn't see him. The Furies continued to walk, then suddenly Fury no. 1 sniffed the air. My heart skipped a beat, had she realized Percy was hiding, invisible? I exhaled as she turned her head and continued walking. That meant Percy could escape, get of the bus but it also meant that they might still attack us that was bad. They finally reached us, they transformed into their own true form. Their bodies became shrivelled up and brown, like they'd spent 5 whole hours in the bath, on their backs and feet sprouted bats wings and feet. Their handbags morphed into flaring lashes. "Where is it? Where?" They hissed. Where is it? They were supposed to be looking for Percy, maybe they did mean Percy. It as if they were looking for something and not someone...  
The mortals on the bus began to shout and shrunk down into their seats.  
"He's not here!" I exclaimed. "He's gone." All together they held up there lashes. I drew my knife that I always used for fighting monsters. Goat Boy picked up a tin can from his bag and held it up as if to throw it and defend himself. Stupid Goat boy, what use will that be against a whip? Suddenly the bus jerked to the left, everybody ,including Grover and I, fell to the right and the Furies slammed against the windows. "Hey! Hey-whoa!" a voice rung from the driver's area. It couldn't be Percy...could it? I hoped he wouldn't do anything stupid. The bus squalled loudly as it spun 360₀ round. Emergency lights flared on the aisle. The Furies managed to get themselves balanced again, they started trying to whip me, I threatened them with my knife telling them to stay away in Ancient Greek. Grover was being oh-so-helpful by throwing tin cans-NOT. Then suddenly Percy materialized in front of me.  
"Hey!" he yelled. The idiot! He was going to get himself killed! All three of the Furies spun around. Fury no. 1 walked over to Percy , each time she thrust her whip the leather caught fire. Furies no. 2 and 3 tailed her. Idiot, idiot, idiot!  
"Perseus Jackson," Fury no. 1 said in a strange accent that I couldn't place. "You have offended the gods. You shall die."  
"I liked you better as a maths teacher." Not helping!  
Grover and I crept up behind the Furies, carefully, looking for an opening. Percy took a pen out of his pocket. Seaweed brain! What help is that going to be? Then he uncapped it, and it grew into a sword. Anaklumous, his dad gave him Riptide. The Furies faltered.  
"Submit now," Fury 1 seethed. "And you will not suffer eternal torment."  
"Nice try." Fury no.1 was about to whip Percy.  
"Percy, look out!" I shouted.  
In attempt to get Percy to drop his sword, Fury 1 whipped his hand with her blazing hot lash while the other who lunged at him. Ouch! Amazingly, Percy managed to hold on, he clashed the Fury on his left with the base of her whip causing her to fall over onto the nearest chair then he turned around and slashed the Fury on his right, she screamed as the blade touched her throat and disintegrated into a cloud of dust. I jumped in and got Fury 1 clasped tightly in my hand and tugged her backwards as Goat Boy tore the whip out of her hand. Not a good idea it's-  
"Ow! Ow! Hot! Hot" Yeah that.  
The other Fury who'd Percy had slammed backwards came at him but he sliced her with his sword and she, like the other Fury, disintegrated into a cloud of dust. Meanwhile Fury 1 hit, kicked, bit, scratched and tried to escape from my back but I held on tight while Grover secured her legs with her whip. Together, we pushed her backwards down the aisle, she tried to get up but she fell so quickly that she didn't have time to flap her wings so she kept falling.  
"Zeus will destroy you! Hades will have your soul!"  
"Braccas meas vescimini!" he shouted in Latin, which in English roughly translated to English meant: Eat my pants! That wasn't very dignified of him, I thought. I wanted to say this but we had more important things to do.  
"Get out!" I yelled. "Now!"  
We raced outside where the mortals were all panicking, some walking around with a blank expression on their face, some having some sort of argument with the driver whilst others simply ran around in circles like a merry-go-round horse shouting manically: "We're going to die! We're going to die!"  
"Our bags," Grover remembered. "We left our-" he was interrupted by the loud noise than shook the bus, the windows crashed open as the passengers ducked behind seats for protection. Lightning sizzled a huge whole through the roof and Fury no. 1 shrieked. Unfortunately she wasn't dead yet.  
"Run!" I yelled. "She's calling for reinforcements! We have to get out of here!"  
We ducked into the woods as the rain pounded down on us, the distant light of the burning bus shone from behind us but ahead of us there was nothing but pitch blackness.

thanks 4 the reviews ... plz carry on


	6. Seaweed Brain almost gets us turned into

Chapter 6. Seaweed Brain almost gets us turned into garden gnomes

Disclaimer:  
This Fan fiction is based on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief book. I do not own any of the characters, books or really anything thing to do with the Lightning Thief. I'm just re-writing it in Annabeth's perspective.  
Nor do I own the wikipedia reference that I have used in the " Aluminum cans and cheese enchiladas are vegetables" passage.

We trudged on; cold, tired and disgusted by the stench of the Hudson river that bordered the New Jersey woods.  
Grover shivered, bleating away looking terrified. "Three Kindly Ones. All three at once."  
Grover slowed his pace, seeming to scared to go on while Percy's eyes became unfocused as if he was picturing something far away. I hauled them along, we needed to get away from here and fast.  
"All our money was back there," Percy said, stating the obvious. "Our food and clothes. Everything."  
Anger coursed through me. "Well, maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight-"  
"What did you want me to do? Let you get killed?" I knew that, somehow, Percy was probably right. (?!) But I wasn't going to look all soft in front of him, was I? He was a son of Poseidon, the enemy's kid.  
"You didn't need to protect me, Percy. I would have been fine." I told him, willing him to believe me with my sharp, strong tone.  
"Sliced like sandwich bread," Grover added. "But fine."  
"Shut up, goat boy," I didn't need Percy, I didn't need anybody. I could defend just fine.  
Grover let out a loud, sad goat bleat. "Tin cans...a perfectly good bag of tin cans." Who cares?! I wanted to yell, I was angry and frustrated at Percy for interfering and trying to defend my. I could save myself, I was doing just fine. If he died, my time on the outside world would be over and I might never get to see the mortal world or have an adventure again. I was mad at Grover for not backing me up. We walked in silence for the next few minutes; I could almost feel Percy's confusion hitting me like rays of light. I looked at his eyes which were wide open with surprise and swimming with a child of bewilderment that you'd see in an innocent child's eyes. I walked a few more faces until I couldn't stand it.  
"Look, I..." I didn't know what to say or how to say it. "I appreciate your coming back for us, okay? That was really brave." I expected him to say something like. "About time Annabeth!" or "I was really brave, wasn't I." or something son of Poseidon, Seaweed Brain-ish.  
But all he said was: "We're a team, right?"  
I thought about what to say next and the best way to put it. "It's just that if you died...aside from the fact that it would really suck for you, it would mean the quest was over. This may be my only chance to see the real world."  
"You haven't left Camp Half-Blood since you were seven?" he asked.  
"No...only on short field trips. My dad-"  
"The history professor." He put in.  
"Yeah. It didn't work out for me living at home." It REALLY didn't work out. "I mean Camp Half-Blood is my home." I knew I was blabbing now but I couldn't help it. On some weird impulse I felt the need to tell this boy my feelings. "At camp you train and train. And that's all cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That's where you learn whether you're any good or not." But I wasn't so sure...I was in the mortal world now and what if I finished this quest and still didn't know if I was a good demigod or not.  
"You're pretty good with the knife," Percy said.  
"You think so?" I felt the right corner of my lip tug upwards.  
"Anybody who can piggyback-ride a Fury is okay to me." My face burst into a grin. I remembered something from the bus.  
"You know," I told him. "maybe I should tell you... Something funny back on the bus..." My voice was drowned by a high pitched screeching sound that made my ears burn.  
"Hey, my reed pipes still work!" Grover exclaimed, suddenly all perked up. "If I could just remember a 'find path' song, we could get out of this woods!"  
He blew a few notes. I didn't find a path although my head found a nice, hard, at least 2 metres thick tree. Nice.  
A while later the smell of food drifted through the air. It was a smell that I'd never before encountered. It was scented with cheese and meat and lots of other wonderful sensations. It was different, something strange...mortal. I realised. I'd never really left camp, so this was what mortal food smelt like. I'd had mortal food before, a long time ago. Before I'd left my father... We walked a little further until we came across a strange-looking place were the sweet smell seemed to be coming from. It was some kind of shop, above the gate there was a sign that looked to me like: ATNTY MES GDERAN GOMEN MEPROIUM. I internally sighed, one of the many disadvantages of dyslexia.  
"What the heck does that say?" Percy asked me.  
"I don't know," I admitted.  
"Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium." Oh.  
Percy crossed the road and I followed him, the smell of the delicious food was getting stronger and stronger. I was hungry and tired from all that walking in the woods. I needed food.  
"Hey..." Grover said, cautiously.  
"The lights are on inside," I told Percy. "Maybe it's open."  
"Snack bar," Percy said, his green eyes lighting up like a tree on Christmas day.  
"Snack bar," I agreed.  
"Are you two crazy?" Grover warned us. "This place is weird." Some part of my better, wiser nature was nagging me. It wanted to agree with Grover and tell Percy to just keep walking but it was overpowered by the odd need to taste mortal food.  
I walked on with Percy, the first thing I saw in front of the shop were statues of cement animals, people, cement everything!  
"Bla-ha-ha!" Goat Boy protested. "Looks like my Uncle Ferdinand." I followed his gaze, there was a satyr playing the reed pipes sitting down with a startled look on its face. Weird. Turn around! A part of me yelled but the other curious and hungry part was overwhelming.  
"Don't knock," Grover begged as we reached the door. "I smell monsters." "Annabeth! Listen to him!" a big part of me screamed but it was drowned out by the nagging urge to eat.  
"Your nose is all clogged up from the Furies," I told him. "All I smell is burgers. Aren't you hungry?"  
"Meat!" Grover said, disdainful. "I'm a vegetarian."  
"You eat cheese enchiladas and aluminium cans," Percy pointed out.  
"Those are vegetables. Come on. Let's leave. These statues are...looking at me." The term 'vegetable' usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. Not enchiladas or cans. But before I could tell Grover that the door opened. A woman wearing a black veil that covered just about everything about her except her hands which were wrinkled a creamy shade of brown. An old lady, I thought. Her eyes shone through the smooth black material, they looked concerned but there was just something about them...  
"Children, it is too late to be out all alone. Where are your parents?"  
"They're...um..." I said, trying to come up with an intelligent answer as to what 3 kids with scratches and bruises all over them and looked like they had walked a mile were doing standing at an old lady's doorstep.  
"We're orphans," Percy said stupidly.  
"Orphans?" The woman said in a strange raspy accent that I hadn't heard before. I held my breathe, expecting her to tell us to get off her lawn. "But, my dears! Surely not!"  
I opened my mouth to say something but Percy, once again took my slot. Naturally saying something stupid.  
"We got separated from our caravan," CARAVAN?! "Our circus caravan. The ringmaster told us to meet him at the gas station if we got lost, but he may have forgotten, or maybe he meant a different gas station. Anyway, we're lost. Is that food I smell?" Smooth, real smooth.  
"Oh, my dears," the woman said, seeming horrified at our "separated from caravan" and "orphan" course. "You must come in, poor children. I am Aunty Em. Go straight through to the back of the warehouse, please. There is a dining area."  
"Thanks," I murmured and the others chimed in.  
"Circus caravan?" I whispered to Percy.  
"Always have a strategy, right?"  
"Your head is full of kelp."  
The statues flowed into the warehouse, they were surprisingly realistic. Every curve of the chin or smooth change in texture was intricate. Year looked like it had taken months, maybe even half a year to work on. The structure was so firm and strong; the perfect foundation for a nice, strong architecture. It looked realistic, I realised, almost TOO realistic. I looked at a statue, a little girl with wide eyes. Staring at me with horror, her mouth hanging wide open as if she was screaming. Her eyes seemed to roll around frantically, gesturing towards the door. I knew something was wrong; REALLY wrong. My instincts told me to get out of here but the smell of the food was intoxicating, rich, lovely and warm. I couldn't think properly anymore, it was like the fragrance was clouding up my brain, slowing it down. I should have known better, I should have turned around and went just there. But NO, I just HAD to go for the food. Didn't I? Darn ADHD and mortal food. I was vaguely aware of Grover's anxious bleating and Auntie Em locking the door and the statue's eyes seeming to get wilder and more agitated by the second. But my only thought was: food.  
In the dining area there was everything there that you could imagine: crisps, fizzy drinks, finger sandwiches, burgers and much, much more. I'd never tasted any of these things before, sure, at camp they served BBQ food and you could make your goblet fill with soda if you wanted to but somehow it wasn't the same. From the faint and gradually fading memories of my time with my father I distantly remembered going to a fast food restaurant. The food there tasted fresh and real and alive. At camp the food was great but it wasn't regular, it was magic. It was an imitation of the real thing; the mortal thing. I wanted to do some regular for the first time in years so when Auntie Em told us to sit down I complied. Ignoring the itching sensation that was coming from behind me, that I knew was from the statue girl behind me.  
"Um," Grover said unenthusiastically. "we don't have any money ma'am." "What was he thinking!" I thought. "Doesn't he know that SOME of us are HUNGRY here?!" I was fully ready to warrior kick Grover underneath the table when Auntie Em said:  
"No, no, children. No money. This is a special case, yes? It is my treat, for such nice orphans."  
The sensible part of me was screaming, questioning my sanity. Why would an old lady let in a threesome of dirty children who claimed to be circus orphans? Once again it was overpowered by the smell of the food. "Thank you, ma'am." I said.  
The lady's muscles stiffened all at once; her eyes drilling a whole through mine. Then suddenly she was back to her breezy, kind, old-lady self. "Annabeth!" my common sense yelled. "The lady! There's something wrong with her! Go, go, go! Now!"  
"Quite all right, Annabeth," Annabeth? How did she know my name? the smart part of me asked but it was drowned out by the delicious smell of burgers. "You have such beautiful grey eyes, child." Then she walked behind the snack counter and started to cook. A few moments later she was back with what seemed like enough food to feed a whole party. I picked up a milk shake, eager to taste it. It was cool and smooth and soothing. I named all the different flavours, there was strawberry and peach and chocolate and golden syrup and lots of other things that shouldn't have gone together but, strangely, did. I was absorbed in the drink, I could feel myself getting more and more relaxed... The drink was so tasty.  
"What's that hissing noise?" I looked up as the sound of Grover's voice broke through my speculation. I shook my head, I couldn't hear anything.  
"Hissing?" Auntie Em questioned. "Perhaps you hear the deep-fryer oil. You have keen ears, Grover."  
"I take vitamins. For my ears." Grover said, displeased.  
Auntie Em told Grover to relax and sat down; watching us eat. I finished my shake and started on some finger sandwiches. They were dainty and long, cut and curved skilfully. I put one into my mouths, I tasted chicken and fresh lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and lots of other glorious things. I started to feel full and maybe a little drowsy but I continued to eat. The food was so good, I'd never tasted anything like it.  
"So, you sell gnomes," said Percy. Inclining his head towards Auntie Em; trying to sound enthusiastic. Trying to be polite, I noted.  
"Oh, yes," Auntie Em agreed. "And animals. And people. Anything for the garden. Custom orders. Statuary is very popular, you know."  
"A lot of business on this road?" Percy asked.  
"Not so much, no. Since the highway was built...most cars, they do not go this way now. I must cherish every customer I get."  
Percy suddenly turned around to look at the same statue that I felt had been staring at me. She stared at Percy with large eyes.  
"Ah," Auntie Em said, unhappily. You notice some of my creations do not turn out well. They are marred. They do not sell. The face is the hardest to get right. Always the face."  
"You make these statues yourself?" Percy, now looking generally interested.  
"Oh, yes. Once upon a time, I had two sisters to help me in the business, but they have passed on, and Aunty Em is alone. I have only my statues. This is why I make them, you see. They are my company." I felt sorry for the poor old lady; she must get pretty lonely with only statues for company. But there was a feeling, the voice of my common sense grew more and more demanding. More urgent. Something told me that this story was familiar...I'd heard it before. If only I could place it...  
"Two sisters?" I asked.  
"It's a terrible story," Aunty Em told me. "Not one for children, really. You see, Annabeth, a bad woman was jealous of me, long ago, when I was young. I had...a boyfriend, you know, and this bad woman was determined to break us apart. She caused a terrible accident. My sisters stayed by me. They shared my bad fortune as long as they could, but eventually they passed on. They faded away. I alone have survived, but at a price. Such a price." "ANNABETH!" my common sense was crying. "You have go to leave now! You are in danger, the tale! Remember the tale!"  
"But which myth?" the other, reckless, sleepy part of me asked. "This is an old woman!"  
"LET'S GO! THE TALE, THE TALE, THE TALE! It's HER!" Her name...it rang at dull, faded bell. Em, there were no 'Em's in ancient Greek tales or legends. I was sure of it but I knew something bad was going to happen. I looked at Percy, his eyes seemed far away, unfocused.  
I shook him with no response. "Percy?" He looked up at me, his eyes confused. "Maybe we should go. I mean, the ringmaster will be waiting." Grover was nervously picking off bits of paper from the tray on which his fries had been. Auntie Em said nothing at all, that was strange.  
"Such beautiful grey eyes," Auntie Em repeated. "My, yes, it has been a long time since I've seen grey eyes like those." Her voice was unnerving, there was just something about her... She stretched out her arm to touch my cheek and I stood up as quickly as I could. The food was having no effect on me now; I wanted to leave. I knew we were in danger.  
"We really should go."  
"Yes!" Grover said, gulping down the last of his paper and springing up next to me. "The ringmaster is waiting! Right!"  
Percy looked annoyed, he looked like he wanted stay.  
"Please, dears," Auntie Em begged. "I so rarely get to be with children. Before you go, won't you at least sit for a pose?"  
"A pose?" I asked, cautiously. Not trusting her.  
"A photograph. I will use it to model a new statue set. Children are so popular, you see. Everyone loves children."  
We needed to get out of here, my hyper aware demigod senses told me that every second longer we stayed the closer to danger we were. "I don't think we can ma'am. Come on Percy-"  
"Sure we can," Percy said, looking annoyed with me. "It's just a photo, Annabeth. What's the harm?"  
"Yes, Annabeth," Auntie Em said, her voice probably meant to be reassuring but it just made me feel more on edge. Something about her, something... Ancient Greek legends...  
I followed Auntie Em, from the look in Percy's eyes I could tell that he wasn't going to take no for an answer and we couldn't just LEAVE Percy. He'd probably do something stupid with that seaweed brain of his.  
The old lady showed us to a bench next to a statue of a satyr.  
"Now," Auntie Em said. "The young girl in the middle, I think, and the two young gentlemen on either side."  
"Not much light for a photo," Percy commented. It was true, it was way to dark for a camera to pick us up. It would need at least ten times more ambient light to increase the wavelength and even then Auntie Em held no camera...  
"Oh, enough," she said. "Enough for us to see each other, yes?" But...there was no camera. And why would Auntie Em want us to be able to see each other? "The legend!" my mind yelled. I searched through every name of a Greek monster I knew and came up blank. Maybe I was just imagining, maybe this lady was just a normal pensioner who had her own shop full of statues, maybe... But I just could silence the part of my brain that was screaming in terror. "Danger, danger, danger, danger..." my find whispered over and over again. The word echoing inside my head.  
"Where's your camera?" Grover asked.  
Auntie Em stepped back slightly, as if taking in the picture of the three of us but she had no camera. "Now, the face is the difficult. Can you smile for me please, everyone? A large smile?" Grover looked at the stone satyr once more and muttered, "That sure does look like Uncle Ferdinand." Something was off, we needed to go, now. Statues, old lady, no camera... it just didn't add up. She wanted us to be able to see each other...why did that matter?  
"Grover," Auntie Em scolded. "look this way, dear."  
"Percy-" I warned. Percy eyes opened a little wider and he seemed to snap out of it for a second but then his eyes became soft and relaxed...like he was under some kind of spell.  
"I will just be a moment," the old woman told us. "You know, I can't see very well in the cursed veil..." Veil, she was going to take it off but she had no camera...  
"Percy, something wrong," I said putting more distress into my voice.  
"Wrong?" Auntie Em said while lifted her arms up to take her veil off. "Not at all, dear. I have such noble company tonight. What could be wrong?"  
"That is Uncle Ferdinand!" Grover gasped. Auntie Em, Auntie Em. Auntie M, stone, no camera... A million thoughts rushed through my head at once, all pointing towards the answer more dreadful and terrible than I had been hoping for. Auntie Em stood for Auntie 'M' and auntie 'M' stood for...MEDUSA!  
"Look away from her!" I yelled to the others, pulling my Yankees cap over my head and pushing Grover and Percy off the bench. Grover crawled away, so did I. But Percy just stayed there, his eyes unfocused as if he was in a trance. A trance...the food! I could of slapped myself for being so ignorant, of course, Auntie Em must have cooked the food specially to draw us in. Something to make us want to stay, it wore of on Grover and I but Percy was still bewitched. Like frozen ice, taken from the salty sea, I noted. He was staring at Auntie Em's sandals, his eyes moving higher and higher up...  
"No! Don't" I yelled, I could hear Auntie Em's hair, which must have been covered with snakes. I could imagine in my head, writhing and hissing and horrible.  
"Run!" Goat Boy bleated he ran across the gravel, kicking himself of the ground and crying: "Maia!"  
Percy still seemed locked in position but his face creased with concentration, his eyes full of determination. He was trying to escape, I noted, but he couldn't. He was under Medusa's spell; this was not good at all. Percy managed to switch the position of hid eyes, slowly moving them to the right side and looking at a reflection garden sphere. His eyes went wide and his eyebrows flew up into his unruly hair; a look of recognition on his face. He knew, he tried to move his legs with no avail. We needed a plan, the last time Medusa had been defeated she was asleep and she wasn't asleep now. There was no way we could kill her without looking at her but of course...the garden sphere had given me an idea.  
"The Grey-Eyed One did this to me, Percy," Medusa said, her voice horrific and cruel as she spoke to Percy. Percy didn't seem to notice that, though, his was frozen and staring in amazement. As if he didn't know what to make of the situation.  
"Annabeth's mother, the cursed Athena, turned me from a beautiful woman to this." CURSED ATHENA? She was the one having a kissing session with Poseidon? What did she expect, for Athena, the goddess of battle strategy and wisdom, to be walked all over by the likes of her...this THING?  
I wanted to say all the to her but I figured that now wasn't really a good time, Percy was this close to looking up at her and if I didn't get him moving he'd end up a statue her in Medusa's garden. "Don't listen to her!" I pleaded. "Run, Percy!"  
"Silence!" Medusa growled with such unguarded hatred and malice that I shivered. I could hear Grover faintly braying nervously behind me. "You see why I must destroy the girl, Percy. She is my enemy's daughter. I shall crush her statue to dust. But you, dear Percy, you need not suffer."  
"No," Percy said, a faint sound that I barely heard over the hissing of Medusa's snake hair. He shuffled his legs once again, trying to get up with no avail.  
"Do you really want to help the gods?" Of course! That's the whole POINT of going on a quest but I guess that wasn't in Medusa's stupid little snake head. "Do you understand what awaits you on this foolish quest, Percy? What will happen if you reach the Underworld? Do not be a pawn of the Olympians, my dear. You would be better off as a statue. Less pain. Less pain."  
I heard a shuffling noise on the grass and looked up, Grover was taking a running jump into the air, his winged trainers flapping away. No, this was really not a good idea, I wanted to tell him this but I didn't want to alert Medusa. Grover fluttered up to the nearest tree and yanked off the branch. This was not going to work! I wanted to yell. No way could he defeat Medusa with a flimsy branch; it would probably just make her mad and force Grover to look into her eyes. That wouldn't help any of us. Why couldn't Grover just be rational here?!  
"Percy!" Dive yelled, diving down through the air with wavered as his trainers cut through the air. "Duck!" Percy turned and stared at him.  
"Duck!" Grover repeated. "I'll get her!" Something seemed to stir inside Percy's eyes and the unfocused, dazed look cleared. Leaving only a sort of sarcastic anticipation, he'd probably known Grover long enough to figure that he'd probably fly into Percy, stick and everything. Percy swayed to the side just as I heard a crunching, loud noise. I rolled my eyes, Grover probably hit the ground or something but Medusa howled with anger. Oh, he'd gotten her all right. Grover continued to whack Medusa, more howling, I couldn't let this go on. Grover was doing well so far but he couldn't keep it up for long and I had an idea...  
I walked over to were Percy was . "Percy!" I yelled.  
Percy sprang so high into the air that it could pass for Grover sprinting towards the dinging pavilion when cheese enchiladas were being served. Translation: he jumped a whole metre into the air. "Jeez! Don't do that!" He complained. I took of my cap.  
"You have to cut her head off." I knew it was the only way, that was what Perseus had done... My mind wondered why Percy's mum had named him after Perseus, he was a son of Zeus, Percy was a son of Poseidon. Focus. I told myself.  
"What? Are you crazy? Let's get out of here." Was he kidding? And leave Grover alone her with Medusa so she could turn him into one of her solid rock ornaments?  
"Medusa is a menace. She's evil. I'd kill her myself, but..." I swallowed, trying to get the words out, Percy's eyes scrutinized my own, seeming to draw the words out of me. "But you've got the better weapon. Besides, I'd never get close to her. She'd slice me into bits because of my mother. You- you've got a chance." As much as I hated it was true, Percy was the son of Poseidon , he could get near to Medusa. My best guess was that she still had a crush on the old seaweed god (a fact I will NEVER understand) and, therefore, taking a certain fondness towards Percy too. Me on the other hand...I was the daughter of the all-power goddess who turned Medusa into an ugly monster who nobody liked. Yeah, my chances weren't good.  
Percy's eyes seemed desperate, twitching around and, again, I couldn't help but notice the way they fragmented the light. It was beautiful, like the clearest, most expensive stain glassed window. I bit down on my tongue, putting enough force on it to snap me out of my speculation. "What? I can't-"  
"Look, do you want her turning more innocent people into statues?" I pointed to a couple, a man and woman grasping on to each other, moments before the deadly Medusa turned them to stone. His eyes shifted and took on some kind of unsure pride, his chin lifted up a fraction and his body tensed slightly. A yes, I thought, but I didn't wait to ask. We were desperately running out of time. I grabbed the gazing ball. "A polish shield would be better," I explained. "The convexity will cause some distortion. The refection's size should be off by a factor of-"  
"Would you speak English?" Percy cut me of.  
"I am!" I yelled, didn't the boy know ANYTHING at all? I sighed mentally; I'd just have to go through this in Seaweed Brain language. "Just look at her in the glass. Never look at her directly." This seemed to register with Percy. Note to self: Talk to Percy in Seaweed Brain language or as he puts it "speak English".  
"Hey, guys!" I could hear Grover, probably hovering over Medusa. "I think she's unconscious!" Unconscious? No, Medusa couldn't be knocked unconscious that easily that would just make her-  
"Roooaaarrr!" Mad, extremely mad. Not a good idea at all.  
"Maybe not," Grover decided. Grover whacked Medusa with the tree branch.  
"Hurry," I said to Percy. "Grover's got a great nose but he'll eventually crash."  
Percy drew his sword and I watched him make his way towards Medusa. His eyes never once diverting from the gazing ball in his hand. Good, I thought, keep going. Percy walked a little further and then he paused. If my calculations were correct then Percy should be able to see Medusa now, this was good he just needed to lunge at the right moment.  
Grover and Medusa fought until Percy yelled, "Hey!"  
He walked towards her cautiously, seeming to have a problem holding both a sword and a gazing ball in his hand. I hadn't thought of that, I wanted to kick myself, Percy could be in danger this very second. Medusa could attack him at any moment and he wouldn't be able to defend himself because of me, I felt my heart quicken. Beating through my orange camp t-shirt. Relax, Annabeth, I told myself, She won't do anything. She wants to keep Percy, remember? She won't half him. But I couldn't stop myself from shivering at the thought of Medusa lifting Percy's head up and forcing him with her weird magic to look at her... I felt nauseous. Percy was now looking at the gazing ball with disgust and disbelief.  
"You wouldn't harm an old woman, Percy," Her voice was deadly and drawing at the same time. "I know you wouldn't."  
Percy faltered and looked down at Medusa's reflection. He looked unsure, his arms started to droop. No! I closed my eyes.  
"Percy, don't listen to her!" Grover yelled from someone above me.  
Medusa let out a horrid, throaty laugh full of menace and evil that was beyond words. "Too late." The noise that I heard next made me want to scream. There was a sound of sharp material ripping through flesh and there was a thud. No, no, no, no, no! Not Percy, no! Then there was a noise of hissing...snakes! I realised.  
"Oh, yuck," Grover said. "Mega-yuck." I opened my eyes, keeping them fixated on the sky. Bent down and felt a cold, soft, velvety material under my fingers.  
"Don't move," I cautioned. Then slowly, carefully, I covered Medusa's head in the veil and picked it up. Green liquid oozed from it.  
"Are you okay?" I asked, to shaken to care how my voice sounded. Although I was sure it must have been pretty scared.  
"Yeah," Percy said. "Why didn't...why didn't the head evaporate?"  
"Once you sever it, it becomes a spoil of war," I explained. "Same as your Minotaur horn. But don't unwrap the head. It can still petrify you."  
Grover groaned, a section of his forehead was raised slightly and pretty much all of his stuff was falling off him.  
"The Red Baron," Percy commented. "Good job, man."  
Grover smiled, embarrassed.  
"That really was not fun, though. Well, the hitting-her-with-a-stick part, that was fun. But crashing into a concrete bear? Not fun." Well duh! After getting his shoes out of the air and Percy recapping Riptide we backtracked to the warehouse.  
After wrapping Medusa's head one, then wrapping it once again as a precaution (none of us really wanted to get turned into stone) and sat down in silence. All breathing heavily, I didn't know about Percy and Grover but I was pretty tired. After our breathing slowed Percy broke the silence.  
"So we have Athena to thank for this monster?" I glared at Percy. "Your dad, actually," I reminded him. "Don't you remember? Medusa was Poseidon's girlfriend. They decided to meet in my mother's temple. That's why Athena turned her into a monster. Medusa and her two sisters who had helped her get into the temple, they became the three gorgons. That's why Medusa wanted to slice me up, but she wanted to preserve you as a nice statue. She's still sweet on your dad. You probably reminded her of him." How dare he accuse my mother! Although, on the last part I felt myself looking into his deep eyes. I was drowning...under the thick green waves that wrapped around me. No wonder Medusa wanted to keep him, the thought flashed through my mind. WHAT? I mentally shook myself, what was I thinking? This was the son of Poseidon. My mother's rival, remember?  
Percy's face glowed red. "Oh, so now it's my fault we met Medusa." Yes, as a matter of fact is was. All HIS thought, if he hadn't been so stupid, no, it's more than that. If he wasn't the son of Poseidon then maybe we wouldn't even me in this mess. Maybe if he had just been a son of Zeus, I wouldn't have to put up with his stupid remarks.  
'"It's just a photo, Annabeth. What's the harm?"' I mimicked his whiny little voice.  
"Forget it," he said. "You're impossible."  
"You're insufferable." I shot back.  
"You're-"  
"Hey!" Grover cut him off. "You two are giving me a migraine, and satyrs don't even get migraines. What are we going to do with the head?" Technically, Grover couldn't be getting a migraine if satyrs didn't get migraines and if so he would be in severe pain my now. Suffering from an intense headache and or, tension in his forehead. Unless, of course he was suffering from the visual form of a migraine. I looked at Percy who was staring at Medusa's wrapped head, his face almost back to its normal colour but his eyes were narrowed and his ears were coloured.  
Percy wouldn't happen to know all this, would he? Because he was some dumb son of Poseidon who should even EXIST. Let alone be allowed to be questing... But if he wasn't alive then I wouldn't be here on the quest. And...Thalia wasn't supposed to exist, but she was still a great sister. That somehow made me angrier, I glared at Medusa's head.  
Stupid Poseidon, stupid Seaweed Brain, stupid, stupid Medusa.  
A chair squeaked against the wooden flooring, I lifted my head. Percy was standing. "I'll be back." He didn't wait for my response, he walked away.  
"Percy," I shouted after him. "What are you-"  
Percy looked around the back of the warehouse. I looked inquisitively at Grover, he shrugged back at me. Looking as confused as I felt. There was some banging and crashing around until Percy came out with some kind of bill, regular mortal money, drachmas and a handful of packing slips.  
He returned to the table and wrote out a delivery slips to send Medusa's head the Gods.  
"They're not going to like that," Grover told him. "They'll think you're impertinent." Percy ignored him and put in some drachmas. He sealed it all up and then the package wafted of the table then materialised.  
"I am impertinent,"  
I snorted softly. He must be on the top 10 list for the rudest people alive.  
Percy looked at me. His right eyebrow raised slightly, his eyes narrowed. Probably expecting me to say something sensible and tell him that it wasn't a very good idea to go around insulting the Gods' especially when the top one wanted to kill you. But I just didn't have enough energy to tell him and, plus, it was kind of brave of him. In a insolent, childish way.  
"Come on," I murmured. "We need a plan."


	7. Chapter 7 The Warning

Chapter 7. The Warning

Disclaimer:  
This Fan fiction is based on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief book. I do not own any of the characters, books or really anything thing to do with the Lightning Thief. I'm just re-writing it in Annabeth's perspective.

That night we slept in the woods, the ground was disgusting and dirty but there was nowhere else to stay. At least we had food and shelter, sort of.  
Earlier we'd stolen some food and blankets off Medusa.  
I must've been really tired, because all I remember is lying down and then falling asleep.  
That night I had a dream, I was inside somewhere damp and dark. I could her the sound of water dripping against something hard like rock, there was very little light. A cave, I realized.  
From a distance a faint light shimmered, not very bright, but in the pitch black cave it almost stung my eyes.  
I took a step forward. "Hello?" I called. "Is anyone there?"  
No answer, the light seemed to be growing strong and getting closer.  
"Hello?" I repeated.  
There was a noise of air whipping against a fast object.  
"Annabeth," A voice came from behind me, it was soft and calm but I spun around. I felt strangely alert, when I looked I couldn't see anyone, I drew my dagger and pivoted around. Looking around for any potential threat.  
"Do not be afraid," I felt a hand grasp my shoulder, reflexively I shrugged it of and turned around in an attacking stance. I aimed it at the figure who was staring at me, a tall woman with dark hair and a knowing look on her face.  
"Athena," I choked, I could feel my eyes widen. My dagger slipped out of my hand.  
"Do not be afraid," she repeated, her hand stroked my hair backwards, it was soft and warm and...motherly.  
"How...why...where?" I stammered. Athena. I'd seen her before on trips out of camp but not this close. She'd taken the time to see me, something my father had failed to do. The almighty Goddess Athena was sending me a dream. Patron of Athens, Lady of strategic battle, creator of needlework. I bowed quickly. My head facing the ground. I didn't know what to say.  
There was a rustling noise and then a motherly hand pulled me up, grey eyes filled with supernatural wisdom and knowledge met mine steadily.  
"Do not bow, child. Stand, there is much to be said in very little time." Her grey eyes flickered with impatience.  
"Wh-what is to be said?" I asked, my voice shaking slightly.  
"Much, child, much. Very little can said but a lot can be analysed."  
I nodded slowly, I understood.  
"You must listen, Annabeth. You do not know who your friends truly are." Her voice was urgent and concerned.  
"Mother?"  
"The ones who you call your enemies are the ones you must hold onto with all your strength. No matter how horrendous they are." Her voice was flat and cold but somehow like that of a mother worrying over her child's safety when they walked to school by themselves for the first time. With a hint of something like...distaste? "Promise me that Annabeth." Her grey eyes were intense like a million daggers and swords, all being thrown at me at the same time.  
"Lady, I-"  
"Promise me." Her figure had begun to fade but her grey eyes seemed to shine their own light that was commanding and made me flinch.  
"I promise."  
"Look deeper into everything. Every piece of the puzzle will seem meaningless to you, but put them together and you will find the answer."  
Her voice was growing more and more distant by the second.  
"What do you mea-"  
"Be careful with you decide to trust, remember that."  
"I will, ma'am."  
"Do not be blinded by your feelings." Her voice was harsh and sent shivers down my spine. "Examine every detail closely..." Her voice was a whisper now.  
"I will."  
"Know I am always here for you..." She murmured and a warm breeze stroked against my cheek.  
Then with that the cave when black.  
It was still pretty dark out but I could see a faint orange tone under the dark sky. Dawn, I guessed. Grover was sitting down on the ground talking to someone.  
"Grover," I called.  
He spun around and half-smiled at me. "Hey, Annabeth. You're awake." His gaze drifted towards Percy whose mouth hung wide open, spit dribbling out of it.  
I snorted. "Unlike some people."  
I shuffled towards him. "Hey, who are you talking to?"  
"Gladiola, she wants to help us. She ran away but she's willing to go back to her owner to give us the reward." I dropped my eyes and saw the pink poodle.  
"Hi, there Gladdy," I murmured. "You okay, boy?" I chucked him under the cheek, I love dogs...I had one before, when I still lived with my father.  
He yapped and padded his pink paws around in circles. His eyes wide and trustful. "Go on, sit." Gladiola ignored me, running around in circles and yapping like crazy.  
Grover. "What's he saying?"  
He leaned towards her, nodding his head and saying yes every once in a while. Finally he looked up at me .  
"Look down there," I followed his gaze down the hill. There were train tracks. "Gladiola says there's an Amtrak station around half a mile away. The westbound leaves at 12."  
I nodded. "So we better get going soon."  
"Uh huh," Grover replied. "But we better wake Percy up first."  
I looked at Percy, his face seemed troubled and he was shivering. I wondered if he was having a nightmare, I thought of my dream. What had my mother meant? The ones who you call your enemies are the ones you must hold close. What did that mean?  
I grabbed Percy's shoulder and shook him. Careful not to put my hand near his mouth, he was still dribbling. The boy needed serious help with controlling the spit in him mouth.  
His eyes opened slowly, they were tired and confused in a kind of fetching way. He was still shaking, he looked so vulnerable and charming. I flicked my eyes away, what was it with me and this boy's eyes? They were just eyes, end of. Period. Nothing special but for some reason my heart was beating fast. I fixated my eyes on his hair, it was as dark as midnight yet it gave of a strange blue-ish quality as the faint rays of sunlight lapped against it.  
"Well," I said, trying to make my voice critic but it came out sounding as only soft amusement and the slightest trace of irritation. "the zombie lives."  
"How long was I asleep?"  
"Long enough for me to cook breakfast." I told him, and flung a packet of crisps at him. "And Grover went exploring. Look, he found a friend."  
Percy followed my gaze and started at Gladiola, his eyes widened.  
Gladdy yapped at Percy, curious.  
"No, he's not." Grover told the poodle.  
Percy blinked. "Are you...talking to that thing?" That thing? That was no way to address a poodle, especially one as cute as Gladdy.  
She rightfully growled.  
"This thing," Grover pointed out. "is our ticket west. Be nice to him."  
"You can talk to animals?" I rolled my eyes.  
Grover pretended not to hear Percy. "Percy, meet Gladiola. Gladiola, Percy."  
Percy stared at me, disbelieving, I stared right back at him. What did he expect? Me to start having hysterics and say this was all a joke?  
"I'm not saying hello to a pink poodle," Percy said. "Forget it." Uh, he was so immature!  
"Percy," I said, steadily. "I said hello to the poodle. You say hello to the poodle."  
Gladdy snarled. Percy finally said hi to the poodle.  
Grover gave Percy and I a more detailed explanation on how he had found her and how she'd run away. Her owners had posted a reward of $200 for his safe return.  
"How does Gladiola know about the reward?" I resisted to urge to say "How does you brain run on seaweed?"  
"He reads the signs," Grover told him. "Duh."  
"Of course," Percy remarked. "Silly me." Whatever.  
I told Percy and Grover the plan which was to get the money and get some tickets to L.A.  
"Not another bus," anxiously.  
"No," I said in complete agreement.  
I motioned downhill, towards train tracks that Grover, or rather Gladiola, had pointed out earlier. "There's an Amtrak station half a mile that way. According to Gladiola, the westbound train leaves at noon."

plz review


	8. AUTHOR'S NOTE

WELL SORRY THIS IS NOT A CHAPTER BUT BECAUSE OF LACK OF RESPONSE AND REVIEWS I AM LOSING INCENTIVE TO CONTINUE THE STORY SO I AM PUTTING A HALT 4 THE TIMING .

I AM REALLY SORRY

IF I GET A NICE ENOUGH REVIEWS I PROMISE 2 CONTINUE :(

VIP-ENIX


	9. AUTHOR'S NOTE 2

WELL IF U WANT ME TO CONTINUE PLZ REVIEW ALL OF MY CHAPTERS PLZ PLZ. IT GIVES ME SATISFACTION THAT PEOPLE ARE LIKING MY STORY

AND GIVES A BOOST TO MY INCENTIVE.

I WILL UPLOAD NEXT CHAPTER IN A WHILE!

-VIP-ENIX :)


	10. Chapter 8 It's just not sensible, even

Chapter 8. It's just not sensible, even for Percy

Disclaimer:  
This Fan fiction is based on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief book. I do not own any of the characters, books or really anything thing to do with the Lightning Thief. I'm just re-writing it in Annabeth's perspective.

AN: thank u 4 all the reviews .

thank u :  
A-Tribute-Called-Sarah

MidnightBoredom

lllgokuSSJ10lll

allen r &

Fan1591903

We were on the train for 48 hours, travelling west. Hopefully no monsters would attack us; Percy was tense, I could tell. He kept looked around like he expected something bad to happen. Was this boy progressively pessimistic or something? Did he LIKE having bad luck?  
Although, I had to admit that we were having a pretty bad day. Some mortal on the bus had snapped Percy's pictured and now he was on the front cover of pretty much all the local newspapers.  
I picked one up and looked at his picture. His hair was ruffled and his face was drawn and panicked. His eyes looked kind of... No Why did everything keep coming back to his eyes? Everybody has eyes, Argus has them all over his body and you're not constantly thinking about his eyes. That's because they're not cu- Right that's it. I forced my eyes away from Percy's face and read the caption instead, it read:

Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson, wanted for questioning in the Long Island disappearance of his mother two weeks ago, is shown here fleeing from the bus where he accosted several elderly female passengers. The bus exploded on an east New Jersey roadside shortly after Jackson fled the scene. Based on eyewitness accounts, police believe the boy may be travelling with two teenage accomplices. His stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, has offered a cash reward for information leading to his capture.

"Don't worry," I told Percy, noticing his worried expression, "Mortal police could never find us." But my voice didn't even sound very convincing to myself.  
I leaned back against my seat tapping my foot with my eyes closed. What did my mother mean? This was all so confusing.  
"The ones who you call your enemies are the ones you must hold onto with all your strength,"  
What was all that about?

After collecting our reward money for returning Gladiola we got on a train to Denver. Getting a train further west would have been better but it was all that we could afford.  
Percy sat beside me, his eyes closed, long, black eyelashes fanning out on his cheeks and casting a soft grey shadow. His lips were parted slightly but he didn't look peaceful.  
His breathes came out in ragged pants like he was running. His face shaken and so childish...so alone, so scared and distressed.  
"I won't help you." he moaned, shifting position slightly. He looked so restless... "No..." he choked, his voice sounded so small and helpless.  
"Don't no, stop. I will not help you, I won't, I won't..." There was a new fierceness in his voice, his chin lifted up a fraction and I imagined that, if his eyes had been open, they would be burning with an wilful vehemence. His voice sound so strong and passionate compared to the small voice he has used earlier. He was demanding, he'd never give in. I could tell, he was on a mission and nobody was going to stop him.  
Grover snored and bleated, waking Percy up. Moving around in his sleep so much that one of his fake feet dropped off, Percy and I stuck it back on fast before anyone could notice.  
"So," I asked him putting Grover's fake foot back on. "Who wants your help?"  
"What do you mean?" Idiot, it was you dream.  
"When you were asleep just now, you mumbled, 'I won't help you.' Who were you dreaming about?"  
Percy stared at me for a second, seeming reluctant to tell me. Then his eyes flashed with something like the need to tell someone what had happened:  
"It was dark in my dream. I fell into this pit, it was big and wide but it felt like...something was trying to escape. It felt powerful and dark, evil." His eyes were dark like the clashes waves of a stormy ocean. "He said that I was too little and too young but maybe I'd do. The voice sounded old, really old. Ancient. He asked me to barter with him, that he'd give me what I wanted and then there was this image of my mother...before she disappeared. He laughed, he told me to help him rise and to strike a blow to the gods."  
What? That didn't sound like Hades, but who could possibly offer a barter with Percy's mother? The pit that Percy had described was clearly in the Underworld.  
"That doesn't sound like Hades. He always appears on a black throne, and he never laughs."  
"He offered my mother in trade. Who else could do that?"  
I didn't know of anyone else who could do that, Analyse every detail carefully. My mother's voice echoed around in my head.  
"I guess...if he meant, 'Help me rise from the Underworld.' If he wants war with the Olympians. But why ask you to bring him the master bolt if he already has it?" I looked at Percy hopefully. Come on Percy, think for a second I thought. Please.  
Naturally, he shook his head, looking pretty confused. Come to think of it he always looked confused and clueless.  
Percy stiffened, he looked desperate and his face now looked oddly...calculating? Percy was never; I narrowed my eyes at him. Grover snorted and said something about vegetables then turned his head over once again, continuing his snoring.  
After fixing Grover's capped so it covered his goat horns I turned back to Percy. Great, why did I wish for the boy to think. Now he's got all sorts of Seaweed Brain thoughts in his head.  
"Percy, you can't barter with Hades. You know that, right?" I snorted inwardly. Stupid question, of course he didn't. "He's deceitful, heartless and greedy. I don't care if his Kindly Ones weren't as aggressive this time—"  
"This time?" Percy asked. "You mean you've run into them before?" Why did I say that?  
Hades was merciless, he didn't care for anyone but himself. He had no conscience; he was just cruel to the bone. He took her away... I could feel a lump building in my throat, I swallowed hard and shook off my emotions. Trying my best to my voice sharp and flippant.  
"Let's just say I've got no love for the Lord of the Dead. You can't be tempted to make a deal for your mom."  
"What would you do if it was your dad?"  
My dad. He didn't love me, he didn't even care if I lived or died. He didn't want me he just wanted his regular mortal family. Why should I care about him either?  
"That's easy," I said. "I'd leave him to rot."  
Percy's eyebrows shot up into his disarrayed hair.  
"You're not serious?"  
Why would I be joking? I hated my dad and that was it. I wouldn't save him, end of story.  
Looking at Percy dead in the eyes, I spoke to him:  
"My dad's resented me since the day I was born, Percy," I explained. It was easy to say; it was the cold, hard truth and Percy ought to know it.  
"When he got me, he asked Athena to take me back and raise me on Olympus because he was to busy with his work."  
His work was more important to him than I was. His own child. Well I don't need him; no sir.  
"She wasn't happy about that. She told him heroes had to be raised by their mortal parents.  
"But how...I mean, I guess you weren't born in a hospital..." No, I wasn't. Actually I wasn't really born. But I didn't want to go through all of it, it was private and Percy might...not have treated me the same way.  
"I appeared on my father's doorstep, in a golden cradle, carried down from Olympus by Zephyr the West Wind. You'd think my dad would remember that as a miracle, right? Like, maybe he'd take some digital photos or something." I could feel myself getting mad, the words were flooding out now but I was too agitated to stop.  
"But he always talked about my arrival as if it were the most inconvenient thing that ever happened to him. When I was five he got married and totally forgot about Athena. He got a "regular" mortal wife, and had two "regular" mortal kids, and tried to pretend I didn't exist."  
I finally finished talking and glared at my Yankees cap. My dad didn't care about me and that was fine. There was nothing wrong with that, I was totally okay with that. That was all good. That was just fine; no it was more than fine. It was just marvellous! Yes, my father should continue to pay attention to his oh-so normal family and just get on with his life. He should continue living happily without me. That would be great. Absolutely fine, tip top, 100% great. Just fine. Couldn't be bet-  
I looked up, Percy was speaking to me. "-married a really awful guy," Percy was saying. "Grover said she did it to protect me, to hide me in the scent of a human family. Maybe that's what your dad was thinking." Like my dad would try and marry a mortal to protect me, Gods he regrets my very birth.  
"He doesn't care about me," It was a thought that I hadn't meant to say out loud but now Percy was looking at me, his eyes blazed with curiosity. I could tell he was trying not to pressure me into telling him, I sighed, I figured I better let him have the satisfaction of knowing just this once.  
"His wife- my stepmum- treated me like a freak. She wouldn't let me play with her children. My dad went along with her. Whenever something dangerous happened- you know, something with monsters- they would both look at me resentfully, like, 'How dare you put our family at risk!' Finally, I took the hint. I wasn't wanted. I ran away.  
"How old were you?"  
"Same age as when I started camp. Seven."  
"But...you couldn't have got all the way to Half-Blood Hill by yourself."  
No, I couldn't have. But I had help...  
"Not alone, no. Athena watch over me, guided me towards help. I made a couple of unexpected friends who took care of me, for a short time, anyway."  
My time with her faded to fast... All I had was her memory now, she'd been snatched away from me, she was like my sister and best friend all rolled into one. Now she was...gone. Unfairly taken, Hades was a sadist, a creature that fed on other's hurt. He had no compassion; he was incapable of forming such deep emotion. The only thing that mattered to him was death...and sooner or later everyone had to surrender to it.  
I sat there on the train thinking and my father and Hades and...the friends I'd met when I was seven.

Awhile after our first day on the train- June 13 according to the local newspaper and just over a week before the summer solstice we travelled through St. Louis, home of the astounding Gateway Arch, it was absolutely breathtaking. Perfectly curved at just the right degree and smoothed over carefully. Statuesque. Beautiful, captivating and flawless.  
"I want to do that," I sighed.  
"What?" Percy asked.  
"Build something like that. You ever seen the Parthenon, Percy?"  
"Only in pictures."  
"Someday, I'm going to see it in person. I'm going to build the greatest monument to the Gods ever. Something that'll last a thousand years."  
Percy's eyes twinkled and he laughed. "You? An architect?" Anger flared up inside me like a blowtorch. Just because he wasn't sophisticated enough to do something productive with his time. His laugh is kind of nice, soft but somehow rough yet not too rough. Childish, free. A part of my mind told me. Shut up! I yelled back it it. I was fed up with how I was reacting to this kid, he was just like any other boy. WHY did I keep on thinking about his eyes and his hair and now his laugh. WHY? For some reason this just made me angrier. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. "Yes, an architect. Athena expects her children to create things, not just tear them down, like a certain god of the earthquakes I could mention."  
I immediately regretted it, Percy's cheerful face dropped, he stared outside the window into the murky brown sea.  
"Sorry," I told him. "That was mean."  
He looked at me. "Can't we work together a little?" His voice almost begging. "I mean, didn't Athena and Poseidon ever cooperate."  
I had to sift through about 50 events that Athena and Poseidon had shared to come up with an answer. "I guess...the chariot." I said, hesitantly. I wasn't too keen on were this was going.  
"Then we can cooperate too. Right?"  
I didn't say anything, I stared at the Gateway Arch until it was no longer in view.  
The ones who you call your enemies are the ones you must hold onto with all your strength. No matter how horrendous they are. What would my mother do? She was the wisest person in the whole world. If she was saying that I should hold onto my enemies with all my strength then...  
"I suppose," I said flatly as the train slowed to a halt in the Amtrak station. The intercom announced that we'd have a 3 hour wait until the train would leave again for Denver.  
Grover stretched. "Food." he moaned before his eyes were even fully open. I smiled. Good old Goat Boy.  
"Come on, goat boy, sightseeing."  
"Sightseeing?" he didn't look very pleased by this; he was more interesting in getting food.  
"The Gateway Arch," I told him. "This may be my only chance to ride to the top. Are you coming or not?"  
Percy and Grover looked at each other, exchanging glances until Grover shrugged. "As long as there's a snack bar without monsters."

We got to the Arch pretty quickly as it wasn't all that far to walk to and the lines were fairly short which (while being convenient for us) I thought was pretty unfortunate. People were missing out in a once in a lifetime chance to ride on one of the world's greatest monumental structures. Hello! These people were mad not to come and visit it.  
We looked through the ground floor of the museum; there were all sorts of fascinating stuff like antique wagons from the 19th century. I explained how the Arch was built, Percy didn't seem to be listening, and he seemed more interesting in sharing Grover's jelly beans than anything else which was really a shame. The boy really needed to expand his knowledge but oh well. His loss. Percy kept glancing around at the people in the line, checking if they were monsters. Any other time I would've told him not to jinx it but now it was actually pretty acceptable considering that we'd recently: a) escaped from the Furies and ran into b) Medusa's workshop where she c) tried to turn us into stone.  
"You smell anything?" Percy muttered to Grover who removed his nose from the jelly bean bag for about a nanosecond before dipping his face back into it. "Underground," he said the word like it was some sort of curse. "Underground air always smells like monsters. Probably doesn't mean anything."  
I turned to a poster on the construction equipment used on the arched. "Guys?" Percy's voice called from behind me. "You know the gods' symbol of power?" I looked over my shoulder.  
"Yeah?"  
"Well, Hade-"  
I rolled my eyes; trust SB to say a God's name in a Nation Monument. Grover cleared his throat. "We're in a public place...You mean, our friend downstairs."  
"Um, right," Percy said. "Our friend way downstairs. Doesn't he have a hat like Annabeth's?"  
"You mean the Helm of Darkness," I explained. "Yeah, that's his symbol of power. I saw it next to his seat during the winter solstice council meeting."  
"He was there?"  
I nodded; wondering where he was going with this. "It's the only time he's allowed to visit Olympus- the darkest day of the year. But his helmet is a lot more powerful than my invisibility hat, if what I've hear is true..." I trailed off, a sudden realisation hit me.  
"It allows him to become darkness," Grover supplied. "He can melt into shadow or pass through walls. He can't be touched, or seen, or heard. And he can radiate fear so intense it can drive you insane or stop your heart. Why do you think all rational creatures fear the dark?"  
Percy frowned. "But then...how do we know he's not here right now, watching us?"  
I hadn't thought of that aspect before, Grover and I silently discussed the matter with our eyes. Trying to find some loophole so that we could all laugh and just say "No, of course he can't spy on us in the Gateway Arch. We're perfectly safe and we won't be driven mad or die of dear." Unfortunately, like many other things, it didn't happen.  
"We don't." Grover concluded.  
"Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better," Percy said. "Got any blue jelly beans left?"  
We got put in a dainty little elevator, it was so wonderfully designed and let just the right amount of natural light in to give it a warm glow.  
I noticed Percy staring at an overweight woman with a dog, I wanted to nudge him and tell him not to be so rude. We didn't need to draw any attention to ourselves but before I could the lady began to speak.  
"No parents?" she asked.  
I noticed that her eyes seemed incredibly bright and rounded, yet somehow opaque and obscured. I'd seen those eyes before but I just couldn't pinpoint them...  
I realised that no one else was saying anything.  
"There below," I said, trying to sound polite and convincing. "Scared of heights."  
"Oh poor darlings." I couldn't stop staring despite myself; there was something about those eyes... I knew I'd seen them somewhere. The dog growled, maybe if I'd looked at the dog properly I might of noticed that the lady's eyes were animal-like I could of saved yourself a lot of trouble. Go ahead call me foolish.  
"Now, now, sonny. Behave." the lady chided.  
"Sonny. Is that his name?" Percy asked.  
"No," What? I thought, that was pretty weird but I was to busy looking out of the window to really think about it that much. The view was astoundingly striking and refreshing. They were rows of dainty little windows that provided a brilliant view of the city, all the building looked as if they had been deeply thought about before they were constructed. Every brick fit consecutively in the other and each corner was sharp and linked to another edge. Sharp lines, gentle curves. Roughness and smoothness combined to produce the perfect buildings.  
I told Percy and Grover about the structural supports and how I would've improved it. I was just getting to explaining the weight-to-height ratio formula when the park ranger said that the observation deck would be closing in 3 minutes. That was such a shame.  
Percy, I noticed, was more than a little eager to get us of there. He grabbed Grover and I by the shoulder and all but carried us over to the nearest elevator. I frowned but he didn't seem to notice, when we got to the elevator Percy pushed Grover and I in. I noticed that there were already two people inside it, the maximum load was 4.  
"Next car, sir." said the park ranger.  
"We'll get out," I said. It was way to dangerous to leave Seaweed Brain alone, knowing him he'd be just bound to get into trouble. "We'll wait with you."  
"Naw, it's okay," he said although his tone was uncertain. "I'll see you guys at the bottom."  
No, no way are you letting Percy out of your sight. He had a vacancy on the top floor. But I remembered how I had told Percy that we'd try to work together. I had to believe in him just a little, right? What could possibly go wrong, we were in the Gateway Arch for the gods' sake. Monsters wouldn't be able to get through security and if Hades was watching us he wouldn't just appear in public. He wouldn't do anything that rush, he'd bide his time and then try to lure Percy in when we reached Underworld. So, unthinking as it was, I let the doors shut.  
Grover shuffled uneasily, his goat eyes worried. "I don't think we should have let him go."  
"He'll be fine," I said. I tried to make the word sound like I really meant it, I needed to believe in Percy more. We were a team, we needed to work together and we needed to at least rely on each other to take a 3 minute ride down an elevator.  
The elevator door gave a ding and the door slid open. Grover and I walked outside into the daylight.  
Grover stood there for all of two seconds and then said: "He's not here. Why isn't he here?"  
"He'll be here," I told him. Trying to sound sure of myself. "His car will probably arrive in a minute, he got in after us, remember?"  
I stared up at the Gateway Arch where I could see the little cars moving up and down. It was an intirly logical point, naturally Percy would come down after us, but I still had the feeling that something bad was going to happen. I tried to block it out.  
So we stood there and waited and waited and waited and waited. We waited for 10 minutes.  
Well I waited, Grover started pulling chunks of fabric off from his sweater and chewed on it absentmindedly. His forehead creased with lines of worry. The mortals didn't seem to see anything wrong, I wondered what the Mist made the mortals see. Grover eating a chicken leg? I half-snorted at the thought of Grover eating meat, he was, as he did say for himself "A vegetarian." One who ate tin cans and cheese enchiladas.  
Grover bleated nervously. "Maybe we should go."  
"No," I said. "Percy will be looking for us when he comes down. We don't want to get mixed up." But I couldn't help scanning around the green, looking for him. I knew that this was bad for the whole trust thing but I couldn't help it, why wasn't he here?  
"Annabeth, he should be down here by now. There's no way that the car can take this long to get here."  
I took one last look around me. No sign of Percy and before I knew it I was stalking forward with Grover following closely behind me. I frowned; I guess the whole trust thing had gone completely out of the window. I didn't know where I was going but I was just walking around. Maybe the little idiot had taken a wrong turn and gotten lost. With his room-temperature IQ I guessed it could be easily done but somehow I knew that that wasn't the case.  
I pulled Grover around who was, at this point, practically tearing off his whole sleeve. I didn't know how long we'd been looking for him know, I was losing track of time.  
There was a sound of a space shuttle taking off from earth. A bang that was deafening, even though it was at least a whole mile off from where we were. I spun around, running toward the sound of the bang, Grover swallowed a mouthful of nylon and ran after me, bleating like mad. I pushed people out of the way as I ran, screw the trust, I needed to find Percy. Now.  
Something was wrong and I knew it. We were just outside the thin line of trees that surrounded the Arch when we were stopped by two men in police uniform. But why would they be here? Not for anything good.  
Shut up.  
"This is a restricted area," the tallest man said. He had thinning grey-brown hair and his lips were turned downwards, even as he spoke, long frown lines were draw out across his jaw.  
"We would appreciate if you would vacate this premises."  
I looked behind them and noticed that the area was taped off with a thin bright yellow which was wrapped around several orange cones with luminous strips wrapped around them. A siren roared in the distance.  
"Sorry, we didn't mean to intrude but-"  
The shorter, plumper man began to speak. His voice was rough and crackly; it reminded me of sand paper. He looked bored and spoke with a voice so monotonous it almost sounded mechanical.  
"Please vacate the premises. With have important matters to be dealing with now, shoo. Hurry along. Go on now, off, off. Shoo." He waved his hand at us as if we were pigeons making a nuisance by messing up the garden.  
Grover spoke now, his voice was weak and pleading. "Sir, please. What's happened?"  
But he didn't need to ask, a news van pulled up on the curve and a man dressed in a smart grey suit and a beige tie stepped outside as did an equally smartly-dressed man.  
"Now, tell me Dan, what has happened here?"  
"The Gateway Arch has just suffered from an extreme explosion, the cause is not yet clear but it is thought that-"  
Extreme explosion! I suddenly felt dizzy. Grover was whimpering beside me and starting to chew on his other sleeve.  
Why? Why did I leave him? I had the sudden feeling that I was going to be sick right there and then. Until I saw a streak of dark hair, jet black hair, blue black hair. Covering deep green eyes.  
"Perr-cy!" Grover cried, slamming into Percy and pulling him into an almost-suffocating hug. But I myself was having a trouble with retraining my joy. "We thought you'd gone to Hades the hard way!"  
I stood behind Grover and tried to make myself look irate and condemning but it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my back and the was nausea disappearing.  
"We can't leave you alone for five minutes! What happened?"  
"I sort of fell." He. Fell. Off. The. Gateway. Arch.  
"Percy! Two hundred metres?" No way could he have survived the impact of the water from that high up. Nobody could that, it was impossible, unthinkable.  
"Gangway!" the tall policeman shouted. Everyone moved to one side and two paramedics came forward, pushing a hysterical woman lying down on a stretcher.  
"And then this huge dog, this huge fire-breathing Chihuahua-"  
"Okay, ma'am," one of the paramedics said in a soothing voice. "Just calm down. Your family is fine. the medication is starting to kick in." Fire-breathing Chihuahua?  
"I'm not crazy!" the lady insisted. "The boy jumped out of the hole and the monster disappeared." she looked at Percy with wide eyes full of surprise and horror. "There he is! That's the boy!" Percy spun around quickly and pulled Grover and I away.  
Monster, fire-breathing Chihuahua, jumping from the top of the Gateway Arch?  
"What's going on?" How much trouble could this boy get into in a secure elevator that measured only a metre in width and was no bigger than a typical greenhouse. "Was she talking about the Chihuahua on the elevator?"  
"I went into the other elevator and there was the lady with the dog. She said it was a Chimera actually though I thought it looked a lot like a Chihuahua and-"  
"Percy!" The boy shouldn't let his mind wonder, it's too little to be left out.  
"What?" he asked, completely clueless.  
I rolled my eyes. "The fire-breathing dog?" I prompted.  
"And the jumping out of the Arch," Grover put in.  
"Well, yeah. So the woman grew a forked tongue and she said she was Echidna," Echidna, how could I've been so stupid. Animal eyes. Echidna was the mother of all monsters, most of which came disguised as animals...such as Chimeras. "So I told her that I thought that was some kind of anteater..."  
"You told Echidna that you thought her name was some kind of anteater," Grover exclaimed, eyebrows raised. "You don't want to offend Echidna, when you do..."  
"She unleashes her monsters on you." I finished. Stupid Percy only he could tell the mother of all monsters that her name was some kind of anteater. I mean it is but come on, common logic, you don't going around telling people there names sound like an animal that eats ants.  
It's just not logical, even for Percy.  
"I know," he said. "And it bit me."  
"You let a Fire-breathing Chimera bite you. What were you thinking?" Apparently nothing too good. When Percy thinks the outcome is never quite amazing.  
"They're poisonous!" Grover yelled.  
Yes, yes they were. Percy should've been long dead by now, how had he survived a bite from Echidna's son.  
"Well, yeah. I found that out pretty fast."  
"But how are you still alive?!"  
Percy turned his face toward me, his eyes hurt. Grover looked at me, shaking his head with disappointment.  
"What? No, I didn't mean it that way. I just...I..." It wasn't like I wanted Percy to die, he was my ticket to the mortal world and we had to work as a team. Plus, when I had thought he was dead just then...it was a horrible feeling that I never wanted to experience again. I was worried about him, more than I probably wanted to admit.  
Percy looked away from me and continued his story. "My sword got knocked out of my hand and I had no way to defend myself. Echidna said that I should jump, prove my bloodline."  
"So you jumped?" Grover asked.  
"Yeah,"  
"But how...oh," I realised with a start. Prove his bloodline. It was another stupid Son-of-Poseidon power of his. How many powers had this boy inherited from his stupid father? It's like having a mini Poseidon walking around with you all day, but I secretly thought. Somewhere in my heart, that it was a really useful skill. It had saved his life and that was worth a lot more than parentage.  
"What?" Grover asked.  
"His father saved him." I explained.  
"Yeah," Percy said. "I jumped and hit the water. But it didn't hurt and when I submerged I could breathe. Everything I touched turned dry."  
"Cool." Grover grinned. Percy smiled back.  
"I got my sword and there was this lady...underwater. She gave me a message she said my father believed in me," his eyes glowed with a strange light that I couldn't pinpoint exactly. It was something like happiness peaking out through blankets of sorrow. A candle at midnight. "She said my mother's fate is not as hopeless as I believe and that I should go to Santa Monica. She said it was my father's will."  
Grover's face brightened. "Whoa," he said. "We've got to get you to Santa Monica! You can't ignore a summons from your  
dad."  
I was about to tell Percy that maybe it was best not to go, after all it could be a trick from Hades to lure Percy in. Who knows, that underwater lady could've just be a messenger from him. But before I could say anything the news reporter from earlier was saying: "Percy Jackson. That's right, Dan. Channel Twelve has learned that the boy who may have caused this explosion fits the description if a young man wanted by the authorities for a serious New Jersey bus accident three days ago. And the boy is believed to be travelling west. For our viewers at home, here is a photo of Percy Jackson."  
We all hid behind a nearby news reporter van and then crept into an alley.  
"First things first," Percy said to Grover. "We've got to get out of town!"  
We managed to get back to the station without being recognised, which was very lucky. I wondered if it was the Mist but it only covered monsters, that was something interesting to look into. The Mist or sheer mortal ignorance? We jumped on the train just before it pulled out of the station for the second part of the journey to Denver and the outside light faded away to black, leaving only the distant sound of sirens roaring and flashing lights.

* * *

plz give more criticism on my writing . like it / hate it i would like 2 see ur pov .

this is my 1st fanfic ever so plz i need more reviews . it tells me whether i am doing some good or wasting time!

the major part of compliments goes 2 my friend abhijit who checks my story 4 any type of grammatical or spelling mistakes . THANKS MAN!

- VIP-ENIX


	11. Chapter9The Invasion of the Cupid Statue

Chapter 9. The Invasion of the Cupid Statues

Disclaimer:  
This Fan fiction is based on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief book. I do not own any of the characters, books or really anything thing to do with the Lightning Thief. I'm just re-writing it in Annabeth's perspective.  
Nor do I own the wikipedia reference that I have used in the "Iris message" passage.

The day after, just a week before the solstice we finally arrived in Denver. I felt ravenous, we hadn't eaten since Camp and coming to think of we hadn't washed either.  
We must have been a pretty strange sight, walking around dirty with hungry looks on our faces. But we had more important problems like Percy being practically the Most Wanted in all of America and the spirit. I wasn't so sure of the idea.  
"Let's try to contact Chiron," I told the others. I didn't have the heart to say no. Percy loved his mother more than anything, that was clear, just because my dad betrayed me it didn't mean I should stop Percy from saving his mum but I still wasn't entirely sure about the idea. What if something went wrong? that was happening a lot recently. "I want ti tell him about your talk with the river spirit."  
"We can't use phones right?" Right, so?  
"I'm not talking about phones." I told him, he still looked confused but I ignored him. I would show him, we walked down through town. Searching for the nearest water supply, then finally we found it. It was an abandoned D.I.Y car wash with a money slot in it.  
I searched through my pocked but found no money, I was broke.  
"What exactly are we doing?" Percy asked as Grover picked up the spray gun.  
"It's seventy-five cents," Grover moaned. "I've only got two quarters left. Annabeth?"  
"Don't look at me," I told him. "The dining car wiped me out."  
Percy fumbled around in hit pocket and pulled out some cash and gave it to Grover.  
"Excellent," This was good. Right, now all we had to do was get in contact with Camp. "We could do it with a spray bottle, of course, but the connections isn't as good, and my arms gets tired of pumping."  
"What are you talking about?" I rolled my eyes. You'd think he'd realise by now.  
Grover inserted the money into the slot and adjusted to not so it was set to fine mist. That was good, fine mist got the most clarity in I.M. "I.M'ing." he explained.  
"Instant massaging?"  
Does it look like we have a computer here? "Iris-messaging," I corrected. I guessed if he hadn't caught on by now he never wood, I sucked in the breath for an explanation. "The rainbow goddess Iris carries messages for the gods. if you know how to ask, and she's not too busy, she'll do the same for half-bloods."  
Understand now? "You summon the goddess with a spray gun?" Obviously not.  
"Unless you know an easier way to make a rainbow." Grover told him. Honestly the boy should now this. Rainbows can be caused by other forms of water than rain, including mist, spray, and dew. It was basic optical and meteorological knowledge. Duh.  
As the light passed through the mist a multicoloured arc form, with red on the outer part of the arch and violet on the inner section of the arch.  
"Drachma, please," I opened my palm out and held it towards Percy who dropped the ancient Greek coin into my hand. I clamped my fingers closed and her it above the head towards the sky. "O goddess, accept out offering." Then I threw the drachma into the rainbow spray colours. As I had hoped it disappeared., Good, the goddess was listening.  
"Half-Blood Hill," I inquired.  
For a second the rainbow stayed as it was and then it showed Camp. We were on the porch of the Big Horse were look was standing casually, leaning against the railing. His blond hair falling down into his face, covering his eyes which were like the most esquisite, expensive kind of sapphire. His lips were turned downwards into a slight frown and he was glancing down at something thoughtfully in the meadow. He looked great. And I looked terrible, I realised with a start. I brushed my hair out, trying to get out all the dirt and tangles before he realised the Iris Message.  
"Luke!" Percy yelled, I narrowed my eyes at him and growled under my breath.  
"Percy!" Luke shouted back, his face breaking into a lustrous grin. My heart pounded, trying to jump out of my chest. He always looked so wonderful... But I didn't I reminded my self. Don't notice me, don't notice me. Please don't notice me. "Is that Annabeth, too? Thank the gods! Are you guys okay?" I hate you Perseus Jackson...  
"We're...uh...fine," I was meant to sound mature and cool but the words played around on my tongue. I could feel Percy's eyes on me and could almost visualise his mocking smile and twinkling eyes. I wanted to kick Percy but I was aware of Luke still looked at me over the I.M. Stupid boy... "We thought- Chiron- I mean-"  
"He's down at the cabins." His glorious smiled died suddenly. His sapphire eyes were swimming with worry. What had made him so upset? I thought fiercely. "We're having some issues with the campers. Listen, is everything cool with you? Is Grover all right?"  
"I'm right here," Grover announced and held out the nozzle and stepped into Luke's view. Then he began saying something about issues. Good, distract him from me while I clean myself up. Afterwards I can talk to him and- My thought was cut off my the sound of a huge driving into the car cash, it was playing music so loud that when it pulled up next to a stall the pavement vibrated. People and there stupid cars and music. Were they not aware that loud music could cause tinnitus temporary or even permanent hearing impairment? More to the point, didn't they understand how crucial it was for me to look respectable enough to talk to Luke?  
"Chiron had to- what's that noise?" Luke yelled.  
I had an idea, maybe I could fix myself up if I got out of his view completely, all I needed was an excuse.. "I'll take care of it!" I shouted back, thank the gods' that I managed to get that out without stuttering. "Grover, come on!"  
"What?" He asked. "But-"  
"Give Percy the nozzle and come on!" I yelled.  
He got up and followed me muttering about girls being hard to understand. Whatever. Boys were hard to understand. Take Percy for instance, he was so dumb that he drove me up the wall half the time. But Luke was a great boy...he wasn't like any other boy he was different. He really got me, something Percy would never be able to do. No matter how hard he tried.  
When we got to the car the man inside was still blaring music, my ears started ringing and Grover murmured something that I couldn't hear.  
"What?" I yelled.  
"My ears hurt." He had his wars covered, I looked at him with empathy, my eardrums felt like they were going to explode.  
The person was still inside the car and appeared to be reading a magazine on cars, seemingly oblivious to the music blasting inside his car.  
"So, you have a plan...?" Grover called over the music.  
"Yeah!" I shouted back and leaned in towards his ear telling him the plan.  
A minute or so later we tapped on the driver's door, he looked up looking irritated and then went back to browsing through his magazine. This time I knocked harder.  
He rolled down the window. "What do you want? Can't you see I'm reading here?" He was a guy with a scruffy beard and a tilted black hat that covered both his ears.  
"Step out the car please sir, were are here to...uh...assist you with your cleaning." Grover said.  
"This is an automated service, since when are there staff here?" He raised one eyebrow, obviously not believing us.  
"Then you leave us with no choice, sir." I pulled my Yankees cap out of my my pocket and over my head.  
The man gasped and he revved the engine up, throwing his magazine down and sped of down the road. Grover clicked his fingers together, casting the mist over him so he wouldn't remember.  
After Grover looked at me. I looked back at him.  
And we burst out laughing.  
We hadn't had very much to laugh about lately so this was like a huge relief. We'd had lots of bad things happening to us and this was more like letting of steam. It was nice to feel happy for just a moment, unfortunately that moment faded as soon as I saw Percy's face. This was partly because I had wanted to make a good impression on Luke after I had tidied my self up but mostly because of his nervous expression.  
He was frowning and he looked shaken.  
"What happened, Percy? What did Luke say?"  
He looked shuffled slightly. "Not much," he said but he wouldn't look me in the eye. "Come on, let's find some dinner." I wanted to know what Luke had said but decided to let it go, we were all starving hungry and we needed to eat something as soon as possible. I felt like I was going to pass out with fatigue.  
Luckily we found a cafe just a few minutes down the road, the man in the car- however- was nowhere to be seen. Grover and I shared a smile, the poor guy had probably done a runner.  
We sat down inside the a sparkly clean booth were every one was eating different kinds of delicious food that smelled almost as good as the food at Medusa's lair. The thought of my head would've put me of at any of time but in this instance I was absolutely starving hungry and prepared to eat anything.  
It was an agonising wait and I was relieved to see a waiter come round after what seemed like decades later. "Well?" She raised her eyebrow at us, and she had a good reason too, 3 adolescents who look like they haven't eaten or washed for at least a week were sitting down in a diner that was probably a lot more than we could afford and actually it was than we could afford.  
I couldn't speak I was overcome by the sheer need for food. Percy spoke, "We, um, want to order dinner."  
"You kids have money to pay for it?" I felt sick except I knew that I could never be. My stomach was absolutely empty. I'd never been so hungry in my life, the pull for food in Medusa's lair was nothing compared to this. Because that was just pure wanting food, no, being made to want the food but right now I needed needed it. I was, rather irrationally, debating whether or not we should just grab someone's burger and make a run for it. It wasn't like we weren't Wanted by pretty much all of the U.S already but just then everything went silent. From outside the cafe there was a flash of red, it was a motorcycle with a shotgun holster on either side of it filled with shotguns. I froze although it wasn't what was in the motorcycle it was what was on it. Or rather whom was on it.  
A man with a face so terrible that it was nearly made me jump out of my seat. Because I recognised it.  
He opened the door to the restaurant and walked through, a hot wind followed him and everyone stood up. He waved his hand as if to say "You may be seated." And everyone returned to what they had been doing before.  
The waitress blinked and asked us if we had money to pay for the food again.  
"It's on me," He said and slid into our booth. His tough shoulder pushed me up against the window. I could bearly breathe. Ares was sitting next to me and the reason for my shortage of breathe was not due to admiration. Who should admire a creep like him? I saw my dad, all those times when he and his stepmother had stared at me like I was some kind of alien, all those times when we'd fight, how they treated me like some kind of contagious virus that would spread to their regular mortal children if they didn't make sure I steered clear of them. How much it hurt when my dad chose them over me his daughter. His child. How he'd ignored me, the pain was heart wrenching. All those tears that I'd cried as I'd run away, not knowing were I was going or how I was going to get there. Only knowing that I had to get away because I wasn't wanted, wasn't loved. How I felt like nothing, worthless like the dirt on your shoes. I felt nameless, meaningless, born to do nothing. I felt an anger overwhelming me that was so powerful I almost kicked the diner table, I could feel all my muscles stiffening. I wanted to fight, I wanted to show him that I was worth something, I wanted him to say that he was wrong and that he wanted me- no- he needed me to come back and live with him. I wanted him to divorce my stepmother and make her take her kids with her too. I wanted my dad to be with my mother again but he was so blind, so ignorant, so incompetent.  
I wanted to lash out right there and then I was worth more than all his regular mortal family put together. I had the blood of the goddess Athena running through my veins. I was unstoppable.  
I turned my head the other way, glaring at the sky through the glass window. If only she would be with him again, I thought. If only she were here now...  
But then I thought of what my mum would say, "Be wise." That was what she stood for, intellect. Competence. It wouldn't be any of those things to start yelling at the War God, he'd probably get more than a little angry. Even if he wasn't as powerful as Athena he was still a God, this knowledge snapped me out of my trance. My breathing slowed.  
Percy's chest, however, was heaving as gusts of air blew out of it. His eyes burned with an enmity that was indescribable, raging like an out-of-control tsunami.  
Ares smirked, sardonically. "So you're old Seaweed's kid, huh?" Percy didn't look in the least bit taken aback, even though he didn't seem to have yet comprehended who Ares was. This was bad. Percy said stupid things when he was being naive. What more when he was mad? And worse still made mad by an Olympian God.  
Percy's mouth began to open with a slow, precision that was disturbingly volatile. Uh oh. I knew that this was going to be one of his rash, spur-of-the-moment, Seaweed Brain-ed actions. I shot him a warning glace. "What's it to you?" His mouth framed the word with stark antagonism.  
"Percy, this is-"  
Ares waved his hand and I cut off in the middle of my speech.  
"S'okay," he said. "I don't mind a little attitude. Long as you remember who's the boss. You know who I am, little cousin?"  
Percy blinked and his eyes sparkled as he grasped who he was. Great, now you realise. "You're Clarisse's dad," he said. "Ares, god of war."  
He pulled his lips back from gums exposing gleaming razor sharp teeth, a twisted version of a smile. He took of his sunglasses which exposed Ares's eyes, which weren't really eyes at all. They were a pair of flames, exploding every once in a while. "That's right, punk. I heard you broke Clarisse's spear."  
"She was asking for it." Percy simply said, staring at the god directly in the eyes. I internally shivered.  
"Probably. That's cool. I don't fight my kids' fights, you know? What I'm here for- I heard you were in town. I got a little proposition for you."  
A Proposition from a God?  
Just then the waitress arrived with our food: different assortments of sweets and burgers and fries. My mouth began to water.  
Ares paid her with some drachmas.  
She stared down at the gold coins with anxiety. "But, these aren't..."  
Ares drew his enormous knife and cleaned his fingernails. "Problem, sweetheart?"  
The lady swallowed then left hastily with the drachmas.  
"You can't do that," I looked up at Percy with alarm. Did he get a thrill out of ticking off immortals or something? I mean, he's already got Zeus and Hades on his bad side (okay, not so much but still, they probably still wanted to kill him), not to mention Medusa and Echidna and now he wants to add another person to that list? I looked at Grover who seemed to be thinking along the same lines and was chewing on his aluminium burger wrapping absentmindedly. "You can't just threaten people with a knife."  
Ares laughed, it was a horrible, cold laugh. "Are you kidding? I love this country. Best place since Sparta. Don't you carry a weapon, punk? You should. Dangerous world out there. Which brings me to my proposition. I need you to do me a favour."  
"What favour could I do for a god?" Yes, what favour?  
"Something a god doesn't have time to do himself. It's nothing much. I left my shield at an abandoned water park here in town. I was going on a little...date with my girlfriend. We were interrupted. I left my shield behind. I want you to fetch it for me."  
"Why don't you go back and get yourself?" Percy retorted. Grover whimpered, I looked at him with empathy.  
The fire in Ares's eyes burned more fiercely.  
"Why don't I turn you into prairie dog and run you over with my Harley? Because I don't feel like it. A god is giving you an opportunity to prove yourself, Percy Jackson. Will you prove yourself a coward?" He leaned forward and stared right into Percy's face. "Or maybe you only fight when there's a river to dive into, so your daddy can protect you."  
I looked away, sure that Percy was going to so something reckless but instead his simply replied, "We're not interested. We've already got a quest."  
Which made Ares's eyes appeared to be filled with people dead or dying in battle, smoke, blood... Which was good considering what he would of done if Percy had some something like take a swing at him. "I know all about your quest, punk. When that item was first stolen, Zeus sent his best out looking for it: Apollo, Athena, Artemis and me, naturally. If I couldn't sniff out a weapon that powerful..." He licked his lips keenly. "Well...if I couldn't find it, you got no hope. Nevertheless, I'm trying to give you the benefit of a doubt. Your dad and I go way back. After all, I'm the one who who told him my suspicions about old Corpse Breath,"  
"You told him Hades stole the bolt?" Percy's anger briefly plummeted as the surprise kicked in. Stupid, idiotic Ares. We wouldn't be in this mess if he hadn't told Poseidon that Hades stole the bolt. What's more Poseidon shouldn't have been so thick and naive. Brainless dope.  
"Sure. Framing somebody to start a war. Oldest trick in the boo. I recognised it immediately. In a way, you got me to thank for your little quest." True. Without Ares's trick and Poseidon's stupidity I wouldn't have been there, given a chance to prove myself a worthy hero.  
"Thanks," Percy muttered, not sounding very thankful at all.  
"Hey, I'm a generous guy. Just do my little job, and I'll help you on your way. I'll arrange a ride west for you and your friends."  
I sighed, we needed a ride. We had no money at all. Thank the gods.  
I looked into Percy's eyes, the anger in them was burning again. "We're doing fine on our own." He snapped. Shut the Hades up! I was tempted to kick Percy under the table.  
"Yeah, right. No money. No wheels. No clue what you're up against. Help me out, and maybe I'll tell your something you need to know. Something about your mum."  
All the anger died and was replaced with a sudden interest that was so whole and needing that it made Percy look like a vulnerable child. Willing to believe anything that would ease his mind.  
"My mum?" His voice was quiet and stunned.  
Ares beamed wickedly. "That got your attention. The water park is a mile west on Delancy. You can't miss it. Look for the Tunnel of Love ride."  
Percy seemed to have recovered. "What interrupted your date? Something scare you off?" I bit down on my lip to stop myself from laughing on a completely inappropriate impulse. Even when Ares drew his lips back into a threatening snarl I could feel a twinkle of a laugh playing on my tongue.  
"You're lucky you met me, punk, and not one of the other Olympians. They're not as forgiving of rudeness as I am. I'll meet you back here when you're done. Don't disappoint me."  
When I next looked around Ares was gone and so was the irrational humor that had played on my tongue. This was serious.  
"Not good," Grover said everything that I was thinking. "Ares sought you out, Percy. This is not good."  
Percy looked out of the window intently, he was thinking deeply about something again. I braced myself for yet another stupid comment.  
"It's probably just a trick," So predictable. "Forget Ares. Let's just go on."  
"We can't," I explained. "Look, I hate Ares as much as anybody, but you don't ignore the gods unless you want serious bad fortune. He wasn't kidding about turning you into a rodent."  
Percy looked down at his food as if it had suddenly become unappealing to him. "Why does he need us?"  
"Maybe it's a problem that requires brains," It made sense. A god would ask demigods to help sort out their problems if they didn't want to do so. Or couldn't be bother, or- in Ares case- needed someone who had a broader range of wisdom. "Ares has strength. That's all he has. Even strength has to bow to wisdom sometimes."  
"But this water park...he acted almost scared. What would make a war god run away like that?"  
What did made a war god run away like that?.  
Nothing good. "I'm afraid we'll have to find out."

The sun was beginning to set when we found the park, the sign was old and decrepit. I suspected that it had once read WARTERLAND but now some of the letters had faded always so it actually read WATE R A D.  
The park was as dull as the greying sign suggested, water slides that curved around and around and had probably been filled with water before where now empty leading to empty pools. The pavement was littered with old tickets and the fading sunlight hit the ground illuminated long dark shadow across the neglected water park. It gave the place a depressing and slightly spooky look.  
"If Ares brings his girlfriend her for a date," Percy's eyes radiated a wry, faintly derisive light. "I'd hate to see what she looks like." The irrational urge to laugh filled me once again, swallowed it down, gathered my better knowledge and turned to Percy. "Percy. Be more respectful."  
He raised an eyebrow but the sarcasm was still glowing in his eyes. "Why? I thought you hated Ares."  
"He's still a god. And his girlfriend is very temperamental." And entirely superficial and obsessed with her looks.  
"You don't want to insult her looks," Grover put in.  
"Who is she? Echidna?" Percy persisted.  
"No, Aphrodite," Grover said, his eyes looking clouded and far away. "Goddess of love." Goddess of all things shallow. I thought.  
"I thought she was married to somebody," Uh oh. Grover had a huge crush on Aphrodite; he was exceedingly protective of her. Zeus knows why. "Hephaestus."  
"What's your point?" Grover asked sharply, shooting daggers at Percy with his usually innocent-looking goat eyes.  
"Oh." Percy said, obviously grasping a sense of looming danger. "So how do you get it?"  
"Maia!" Grover commanded his winged shoes, a pair of wings materialised on the sides of them.  
He swooped over the fence, swayed to the side and stumbled into a back flip, then brushed off his jeans when he finally landed. "You guys coming?" He asked casually as if he'd meant for the whole thing to happen. I rolled my eyes, good old Grover.  
Unfortunately for Percy and I it wasn't that easy, we had to climb up the fence, stopping every know and then to hold down the barbed wire for each other. It was a long process, when we finally reached the other side the sun was almost completely gone.  
We walked around a bit, looking at different rides but I wasn't really interested. I just wanted to get the thing and get back, we couldn't afford to lose time on the quest by making stops for...  
"Clothes. Fresh clothes." There was a Waterland Shop. Filled with clothes, I wouldn't have really cared at any other time. I mean, I wasn't shallow like the Aphrodite girls or anything, I didn't care about how I looked...At least when Luke wasn't concerned anyway. And if he Iris messages us, which he could do at any moment, I wanted to be looking my best.  
"Yeah," Percy said. "But you can't just-"  
Oh yes I could, this was an emergency! "Watch me."  
I grabbed for as many clothes as I could find then headed of to the changing room.  
When I got inside I closed the door and then dropped the stuff on the floor. There were multiple Waterland trousers and twice as many tops, 3 pairs of shoes, crisps, a rubber ball (I didn't know what good that would do me but I kept it anyway, just in case) a Waterland key chain and a good-sized backpack. I nodded at the pile and picked out a t-shirt and pair of shorts. I decided that I'd give the keyring to Luke when I got back from the quest. My present to him.  
Feeling slightly dreamy I stripped off my soiled clothes and put on my t-shirt and pulled my shorts up. I looked up at myself in a small mirror in the corner of the changing room. I looked okay. My clothes weren't dirty anymore, I couldn't do much about my hair except try and wring some more of the dirt out of it. My face was still covered in grime, bending down, I picked up a Waterland t-shirt and used it to clean the worst of the dirt off my face but their were still traces of dirt that didn't seem to want to come off but it was the best that I could do.  
Then I, picked up the backpack, filled it with all the clothes, put on my new Waterland shoes and headed out to meet the boys outside.  
"What the heck." Grover shrugged and headed followed my actions, then Percy. After 5 minutes or so we were all dressed in fresh, new clothes. And I was ready to look decent if Luke called.  
We walked around, still searching for the Tunnel of Love.  
The night air felt strange, but it wasn't the creepiness of the abandoned water park it was something else that I could put a finger to. Something was afoot... I pushed the though aside, I couldn't be thinking that something bad was going to happen. I had to be positive but still...  
"So Ares and Aphrodite," Percy asked, bringing me out of my speculation. "they have a thing going?"  
"That's old gossip, Percy," I told him with exasperation. "Three-thousand-year-old gossip."  
"What about Aphrodite's husband?"  
"Well, you know," But by the clueless look on his face he obviously didn't know about much more than his name. "Hephaestus. The blacksmith. He was crippled when he was a baby, thrown off Mount Olympus by Zeus. So he isn't exactly handsome. Clever with his hands and all, but Aphrodite isn't it brains and talent, you know?"  
"She likes biker." He clearly didn't know.  
"Whatever."  
"Hephaestus knows?"  
"Oh sure. He caught them together once. I mean, literally caught them, in a golden net, and invited all the gods to come and laugh at them. Hephaestus is always trying to embarrass them. That's why they meet in out-of-way places like..." I stopped walking, I'd spotted something.  
"Like that." Before us was an unoccupied pool that was shaped like a bowl and slightly resembled one of those half-pipe thingys that skateboarders skated on. Running around the edge stood 12 bronze Cupid statues with widely spread, in their hands were bows. Adjacent to us, a tunnel that was probably a drain pipe for the water to flow into when the pool was full. Directly above there was a sign, it read: THRILL RIDE O' LOVE: THIS IS NOT YOUR PARENTS' TUNNEL OF LOVE!  
Grover carefully edged towards the brim of the pool. "Guys, look."  
Abandoned, at the base of the pool was a two-seat boat with hearts repeatedly painted over it, on the left seat, shimmering in the dimming light, lay Ares's shield. It was pure gold, I could tell from the research I had done about the materials that make a firm building.  
"This is too easy," Percy pointed out. "So we just walk down there and get it?"  
I let my fingers trace the base of the nearest Cupid stature, trying to determine what material it was fabricated out of. It fell smooth and cold but somehow rough... I looked down, there beneath my finger was a Greek carving, and it was Eta.  
"There's a Greek letter carved here," I pointed out. "Eta. I wonder..."  
"Grover," Percy asked. "you smell any monsters?"  
Grover very deliberately sniffed the air. "Nothing."  
"Nothing-like, in-the-Arch-and-you-didn't-smell-Echidna nothing, or really nothing?" That was mean. Idiot, Seaweed brain.  
Poor Grover looked blue. "I told you, that was the underground."  
"Okay, I'm sorry," Percy inhaled. "I'm going down there."  
"I'll go with you," Grover didn't sound all that psyched about it and I'd bet my Guide to Architecture Book 1 Volume 1 that he was just trying to make up to Percy for the whole Echidna thing.  
"No," Percy said. "I want you to stay up top with the flying shoes. You're the Red Baron, remember? I'll be counting on you for backup, in case something goes wrong." Grover pumped up his chest, trying to look tough I guessed but he looked the opposite, I bit down on my lip to stop myself from laughing.  
"Sure. But what could go wrong?"  
"I don't know," Per usual. "Just got a feeling. Annabeth, come with me-" EW! ME AND PERCY IN THE TUNNEL OF LOVE?!  
"Are you kidding?" I couldn't have been more surprised if he recited the meaning of the architectural structure of the Parthenon. I could feel by cheeks blushing.  
"What's the problem now?" THE PROBLEM? I was no way going on the Tunnel O' Love with Percy.  
"Me, go with you to the...the "Thrill Ride of Love"? How embarrassing is that? What if somebody saw me?"  
"Who's going to see you?" he asked although, he cheeks blushed a deep red that mirrored mine. "Fine. I'll do it myself." I watched Percy start down the side of the pool, I didn't really want to go on the "Thrill Ride of Love" with him but if I didn't he would get his Seaweed self into a whole load of trouble. Reluctantly, I trudged slightly behind him muttering to myself. "Stupid boys always mess things up, those idiots..."  
When we finally reached the boat we saw the shield stood up on a seat beside a smooth, sparkly scarf. I knew, that scarf. Ugh, the scarf of Aphrodite. It contained magic that could make the person who touched it fall in love with the person closest to them. I looked up and saw mirrors lining the top edge of the pool, all facing the centre of it. Just then Percy reached for the scarf, he smiled, looking like he was daydreaming about going to see the Parthenon. Not good, I quickly snatched it away from him before he could do something stupid.  
"Oh, no you don't. Stay away from that love magic."  
"What?" Didn't he know anything?  
"Just get the shield, Seaweed Brain, and let's get out of here."  
I studied the shield, something was...off. Hm... Percy reached forward and touched it.  
"Wait." I could see something...a letter. Eta... Why did that ring a bell? I knew it meant "h" in English but...  
"Too late."  
"There's another Greek letter on the side of the boat, another Eta. This is a trap."  
A screeching noise blared around us, the sound of gears grinding together. That didn't sound good, the odds were that the noise was the Cupid arrows getting ready to shoot...at us.  
"Guys!" Grover, I mean, The Red Baron called.  
I was right, above us the Cupids were preparing to shoot us, they were drawing there bows which were pointing at...each other? I thought they were going to shoot us, I internally sighed with relief. They aimed at each other, I realized that at the end of each arrow was a silver length of string and as they fired they created a net over the pool. Trapping us.  
"We have to get out," Nah, we have to sit here and wait for the Cupid statues to trap us.  
"Duh!"  
Percy quickly reached for the shield and we ran up the bias of the pool but, of course, it wasn't half as easy as running up due to the force of gravity pushing down on us and...  
"Come on!" Grover called.  
His was trying to pry open a branch of the lace open for us but the moment his skin came in contact with in, the fine golden fibres began to bundle up the back of his hand. The little Cupids' heads began to slowly open and video cameras poked their way out of them. Spotlights lighted up all around the pool, there lights so powerful that they almost blinded us. This structure was planned thoroughly, it must have taken someone with a great deal of skin to make this. "Live to Olympus," Olympus! "in one minute. Fifty-nine seconds, fifty-eight..."  
"Hephaestus!" It was him! He made it to trap Aphrodite and Ares, to trap them and then show them to all Olympus! "I'm so stupid! Eta is "H". He made this trap to catch his wife with Ares. Now we're going to be broadcast to Olympus and look like absolute fools!"  
We were almost to the top edge of the pool when the mirrors at the top opened and...Spiders crawled out. They were staring right at me, with their little creepy eyes, planning to kill me.  
I screamed.  
There were millions of them, they were metallic but I didn't care, they were still spiders. Programmed to kill me. They all scrambled towards me...  
"Spiders! Sp-sp-aaaah!" I couldn't move all I could think about were the spiders, scuttling directly towards me, to kill me. With their deadly long legs and their mouths... open and snapping. Coming to bite me to eat me, I fell backwards. I couldn't move, they were getting closer and closer and closer... I couldn't breathe, I couldn't defend myself. I could feel Percy tugging me up and dragging me to the back of the boat but I wasn't really concentrating on that...spiders, spiders, SPIDERS! I could see them, surrounding me, they were EVERYWHERE. They seemed to have doubled in number, they were coming at me faster and faster.  
I all but jumped into the boat with Percy, they were almost in arm length distance now...elbow...hand. I screamed. I could vaguely see Percy kicking away spiders and could hear Percy screaming to me: "Annabeth, help me kick them away." "Annabeth, help me!" "Annabeth!"  
But I couldn't do anything, I felt like I had been put into a refrigerator at -25 degrees and the only part of me that wasn't frozen rock solid was my mouth and all I could do with that was scream. "Thirty, twenty-nice," It was like the loudspeaker was racing against us, timing how fast we could escape. The spider spat out more metal fabric, they were going to tie us to the boat. But there was nothing I could do, all I could think was: "We are going to die...we are going to die...spiders...Arachne...revenge."  
Out of the corner of my eye I could see Grover trying to help us by flying over with his winged trainers and pulling at the net but it wouldn't work. It was too strong, we would die here...with these...spiders. I screamed some more.  
"Fifteen, fourteen," the loudspeaker taunted me, teasing me. Telling me to come up with some form of a plan to escape like I always had a plan but I couldn't concentrate on anything but the spiders and unless Percy has a plan... I decided I wasn't going to rely on Seaweed Brain for help, I mean, how many malfunctions were in his seaweed-filled brain? No, wait- don't answer that. No, seriously, please don't. NEVER, EVER, EVER answer that. OK?  
"Grover!" Percy shouted. "Get into the booth. Find the "on" switch!" WHAT? And I thought it was bad enough that we were trapped in there with those flesh-eating spiders and that I couldn't come up with a plan, naturally neither did Percy but now Percy actually having a plan seemed worse. I screamed.  
"But-"  
"Do it!" The spiders were at the upper part of the pool now, I was absolutely TERRIFIED. I prayed to my mother, Athena, internally to keep us safe. This was pretty amazing that I could hear myself think over my ear-splitting screaming. But it was reckless, which I later realised, to expect her to help us because: no.1 Hello, Percy (a.k.a Stupid son of the seaweed god) was there and Athena most probably wanted his dead and no.2 Athena couldn't display favouritism to me, it would get her in MAJOR trouble with her other kids and I'm sure Zeus would have a rule against that. Grover was randomly pressing buttons at the controller's booth, it was hopeless. The last thing I'd ever see would a zillions spiders with their mouths opened, smirking at me. What a way for a young hero to die on her very first quest.  
"Five, four-"  
Grover raised his hands in defeat. We were dead, I hoped that we would go to a nice place in the Underworld. Were the heroes went-  
"Two, one, zero!" I closed my eyes tight, waiting for the last snap of the spiders' teeth to come. I wanted to die quickly, I didn't want to suffer. I didn't feel anything... I opened one eyes and saw Percy with his eyes firmly shut, his forehead was creased with grim concentration and then WOOSH. The pipes exploded, water came gushing out of them, and Percy hauled me into the seat next to him and fastened my seat belt just a microsecond before a huge tidal wave bashed into our boat. Soaking us wet but, luckily, not turning the boat over. Our boat swivelled around then spun around and around and around and around. I felt seasick. In the water were all the spiders, I was suddenly sure I was going to puke there and then, some of them bashed against the wall so hard the shattered into a million pieces. Good riddance! Spotlights shone down Percy and I. The cameras that had come out of the Cupid-statues were now showing live on Olympus. Percy seemed to be concentrating hard on something...wait. Percy had been concentrating when the pipes exploded; he couldn't that powerful, could he? He'd been claimed for, what, 2 weeks or so? I looked at the boat; it was gracefully riding the current, keeping a fair distance away from the wall. Percy was doing this, I wanted to congratulate him but I didn't want to divert his attention and make him get us crushed to death. We were doing well, going at a nice, steady pace. At least until the tip of the boat twisted and headed for the tunnel. Then we accelerated at least 120 mph. We gripped firmly onto the boat as we screamed at the top of our voices. We had at least 20 close calls; we came within a 2 millimetre radius of hitting the corners of the narrow tunnel. The boat passed countless numbers of romantic Valentines' Day things but I didn't pay much attention to that, I was too busy screaming. Now, if the ride was in a decent working order then yes, we would have glided through The Gates of Love, off the ramp unharmed and into the exit pool. But no- The Gates of Love were locked shut and as if that wasn't bad enough two boats further obstructed our way.  
"Unfasten your seat belt," Percy yelled.  
"Are you crazy?" I knew he was a Seaweed brain but I didn't know he was this far gone...  
"Unless you want to get smashed to death," Percy snapped open the Velcro on Ares's shield and tied it around his arm. "We're going to have to jump for it." It was true, what? What Percy said was NEVER true and his plans were NEVER good. Apart from his latest plan that had just gotten us saved 30 seconds ago... I realised that he really had made a good plan when I was screaming "spider, spider!" he actually formed a plan. And this plan didn't seem so bad either, I mean, if we could just get the force and trajectory angle right then we should land safely in the pool.  
"When I say go," NO! Percy telling me when to go, good plan or not, he did not know anything apart from the basics about trajectory angles. I was sure and if he messed this up then we'd end up dead. No saving the world for us, no proving ourselves. We'd go to Hades all right, but we'd be dead, there wasn't much good you could do in the Underworld if you were dead.  
"No! When I say go!"  
"What?"  
"Simple physics," I shouted. "Force time the trajectory angle-"  
"Fine!" Percy yelled back. "When you say go!"  
I waited until the moment was right then... "Now!"  
With a loud snapping sound our boat lifted to the air, I had gotten us the biggest lift possible. Saving us from ending up as pancakes on the gate, unfortunately I hadn't considered what would happen if we hit the level of the boats. Whack! We smashed into the impact and we were hurled through the air, flying over the gates, swooping over the pool and then we glided down towards the hard tarmac.  
I felt a hand grasping me from behind, digging into my skin.  
"Ouch!" I turned my head slightly to see Grover clinging onto my and Percy by the shirt, he was flapping his winged shoes for his life. But of course, we had all the momentum and we were going down.  
"You're too heavy!" Duh, Grover! "We're going down." Nah, we're flying to the moon. Uh, boys are so annoying all the time...apart from Luke. Sigh. We rushed down towards the hard ground, Grover flapped urgently to slow down our fall but as he had said, we were too heavy. Then we collided with a photo-board. Grover head slotted into the whole were tourist pretended to be Noo-Noo the whale. Percy and I crashed towards the ground. Ouch, that was gonna leave a mark. My arm was bleeding, the cut wasn't that deep but it still hurt really badly from the impact of the ground where I had shielded my face and I was sure that if I looked underneath my Waterland t-shirt I would have some majorly purple bruises. Percy didn't look too good either, we were both pretty much hurt but at least we weren't dead and Percy still had Ares's sword on his arm so that was good, speaking of Ares... Hm...  
Once we had recovered from our near-death experience we managed to haul Grover out of the Noo-Noo the whale slot then we gratefully thanked him for saving us. Percy looked back to the Thrill Ride of Love the stupid cameras were still filming, what would my mother say? Acting like an idiot on Olympian TV, that was not a wise thing to do. I could only hope that she wasn't watching this right now.  
"Shows over! Thank you! Goodnight!" Percy yelled. Then everything went back to normal, the cameras turned off and the spotlight dimmed to darkness.  
Percy lifted the shield on his arm with effort, his sea green eyes took on a menacing look that made me want to shiver.  
"We need to have a little talk with Ares."

like it / hate it plz R&R

- VIP-ENIX


	12. Chapter 10 Because he's my friend

Chapter 10. Because he's my friend...

Disclaimer:  
This Fan fiction is based on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief book. I do not own any of the characters, books or really anything thing to do with the Lightning Thief. I'm just re-writing it in Annabeth's perspective.

Ares was waiting for us as he'd said he would just outside the diner in the parking lot.  
"Well, well," he said. "You didn't get yourself killed."  
The jerk...  
I could feel Percy rightfully fuming beside me. "You knew it was a trap,"  
Ares flashed a cruel grin back at him that obviously showed that he was enjoying this. "Bet that crippled blacksmith was surprised when he netted a couple of stupid kids. You looked good on TV."  
Percy, holding the sword, eyes flaring like a green traffic submerged. With a sharp, intense movement he thrust the shield into Ares's startled hands.  
I sucked a breath in, this was very, very dangerous. Percy had already mildly insulted Ares, it was certain that he would keep his cool now. Grover was behind me, letting out nervous goat bleats.  
Catching the shield, Ares whipped it around in the air then it morphed into a bulletproof vest which he pulled over his back.  
To my relief he only pointed with only the slightest of irritation to a truck across the street that I hadn't noticed before. "See that truck over there? That's your ride. Take you straight to L.A., with one stop in Vegas."  
There was a sign printed in reverse text, now to your regular mortal this would probably seemed unnecessary, but to your average demigod. They're dyslexic, and dyslexia plays with the words that you see, rearranges them if you like. So this was like a kind of...antidote.  
So I could read what the sign said and when I did I wondered if, despite the bold printing, I was mixing things up in my head.  
KINDNESS INTERNATIONAL: HUMANE ZOO TRANSPORT. WARNING: LIVE WILD ANIMAL. Great, thanks Lord Ares. We almost get killed for you, I have to face spiders of all things. The little creepy things, I didn't care if they were robotic they still had 8 little creepy legs and evil beady eyes.  
We faced all of that just to be transported on practically a zoo on wheels? And wild animals where rarely washed or cleaned. They were bound to be infested with insects...of the 8-legged variety. I was NOT sharing a whole ride to Los Angeles with those, those...things  
"You're kidding." Percy said.  
Ares clicked his fingers and the back door of the truck swung open. "Free ride west, punk. Stop complaining. And here's a little something for doing the job."  
Like anything he could give us to make up for putting me through millions and millions and millions of them. I inwardly squirmed at the memory of the freaky things scuttling towards me. Programmed to kill me. True, a lot of monsters wanted to kill me but these spiders were pure evil. Immoral, wrong, disgusting. They were scary to me in a way that I couldn't even describe.  
He flung a blue back at Percy, he looked down at it as if it was some kind of horribly distorted beast- a spider, and unzipped the flap.  
I glanced over his shoulder and looked into the bag, there were more new clothes for us, $20 and a whole pouch filled to breaking point with golden drachmas. Also laying at the side were some Oreos. I hated Oreos, ew. But at least it was something to eat.  
Percy looked up at Ares with revulsion. "I don't want your lousy-" I felt my eyes widen. I didn't want to accept anything from Ares at that moment either, I hated him- as I had said before- as much as anyone else and now that hatred has been sprinkled over with bitterness from the spider incident. But he couldn't just go around insulting Ares, Percy has just slandered him twice in the last 10 seconds and the gods' know how many times before. He was hanging from a thin string with only his fingertips, he couldn't afford to further insult him.  
Especially when we needed a ride to L.A.  
"Thank you Lord Ares," Grover cut in, his wide brown goat eyes flashing with desperate fear at Percy. "Thanks a lot."  
Percy gritted his teeth, his eyes were still burning but said nothing. He put the backpack over his shoulder and stared over at something in the diner that I couldn't seem than a huge thought seemed to hit him.  
He blinked. "You owe me one more thing," His head was held high and his voice was steady, composed. But it was almost too unflappable. Like it was taking every ounce of his energy and control to speak to calmly. "You promised me information about my mother."  
"You sure you can handle the news?" Ares revved up his motorcycle engine. "She's not dead."  
Percy's eyes became slightly unfocused, all the fire died and it was replaced with a relief so strong that if I had felt what he was feeling right then I would've fallen down and cried tears of joy. Of course that would never happen. How could I be so stupid? I hated my dad, he hated me. End of subject.  
"What do you mean?" he, asked, his voice muted and dazed.  
"I mean," Ares said. Looking uninterested and itching to drive off. "she was taken away from the Minotaur before she could die. She was turned into as shower of gold, right? That's metamorphosis. Not death. She's being kept?"  
"Kept? Why?" I looked into his eyes and saw that they were fierce and filled with deep emotion. Smooth, lines appeared on his forehead, lines of worry and...determination. I could tell right then that there was nothing anyone could do, or say, to stop Percy from saving his mum. He loved her, very much, even more than I thought it was possible to love someone. But I supposed I didn't have much experience from being loved...my dad never loved me. I imagined what it would be like to have a mortal parent who loved me and cared for me. Who would even risk their own life just to protect me, how would I react if they were taken away from me?  
"You need to study war, punk. Hostages. You take somebody to control somebody else." Ares said.  
"Nobody's controlling me." Percy insisted.  
I understood. Everything. Why Percy was so adamant to save his mother, because she cared for him. Because he cared for her. Because she was his world, someone who would look after him and smile at him and go out of their way to help him. Even death.  
He was her rock and for the first time I realised how Percy must have really, truly felt when he though his mum was gone. Lost, like his anchor to everything real was gone. In the midst of all the half-blood stuff and the "Son of Poseidon".  
And he saved your life. a small voice whispered. I was going to talk to him, later, I decided with finality.  
Ares laughed wickedly. "Oh yeah? See you around, kid."  
Percy clenched his fists. "You're pretty smug, Lord Ares, for a guy who runs from Cupid statues."  
Fire raged behind Ares's sunglasses, a hot wind rushed through me. "We'll meet again, Percy Jackson. Next time you're in a fight, watch your back."  
Then he kicked off the pavement and sped down the road.  
"That wasn't smart, Percy," I tried to make the comment just a statement. Not attacking or made to be an insult. Just normal, I owed the boy.  
"I don't care." Percy said, looking at me solidly in the eyes. He didn't, I could tell.  
I sighed under my breath but not with anything like irritation, it was more like exhaustion. The boy was so...self-sacrificing. He was his own no.1 enemy.  
"You don't want a god as your enemy. Especially not that god."  
"Hey guys," Grover interrupted. "I hate to interrupt, but..." He trailed of, gesturing towards the diner were to men were paying at the till. They both wore the same coveralls which had a white logical, completely identical to the one of the truck.  
"If we're taking the zoo express," Grover urged. "we need to hurry."  
I didn't want to face the spiders again but we needed to get to the truck fast before it drove off. We really didn't need to be left stranded here with no form of transport.  
We ran across the road together then loaded ourselves into the truck, shutting the doors behind us  
The first thing I did was check for any spiders, to my relief there were none. Just a horrible stench coming from the animals which sat down with forlorn looks on their faces.  
There was a zebra, a zebra and a Grey Rhebok (a species of antelope) , all caged up with the wrong food. The zebra and Rhebok has a tray of hamburger meat while the poor lion stared at some turnips with dejection.  
But this wasn't correct. Lions were carnivores and zebras and rheboks, herbivores.  
The lion walked up and down on dirty blankets that clearly hadn't been cleaned any time recently. Neither had he. Flies were hovering around him, attracted to the stench and he could barely breath in the tiny cage. He was so skinny that I could see his ribcage through his thin coat of drooping skin.  
The zebra's mane was matted and covered in old bits of rotting chewing. The antelope's horn had a balloon tied to it.  
Poor things. I thought. No animal deserved to be treated like this- except spiders.  
"This is kindness?" Grover's voice was seething. "Humane zoo transport?"  
I could see from the murderous look in Grover's eyes that he would've knocked out the drivers but the engine roared to life so we all had to sit down.  
We huddled together in a small corner where some feed packs that were long past there sell-by date lay and tried to ignore the horrible smell.  
Grover tried to talk to the animals but they just stared at him with sad, hopeless eyes.  
This wasn't right, I told the boys that we should break the cages and free them there and then but Percy said that wouldn't help much as the truck was still driving.  
Percy refilled the animal's water bowls which had been licked dry with a water jug that he found near their cages then used his sword to drag the correct food to the right animal.  
Grover talked to the antelope in a slow, soothing voice while I trick to cut the balloon off.  
I wanted to cut the gum off the zebra as well but we decided that it was too much of a risk with the truck jumping around unsteadily.  
We had Grover promise the animals that we'd help them more tomorrow then we settled down on the floor.  
I opened the bag of Oreos that Ares had given us, I wasn't hungry but I didn't have anything else to do. Now was the perfect time to thank Percy, I thought for a minute about how to begin.  
Then I sucked in a breath and looked up at him. "Hey," I told him. "I'm sorry for freaking out back at the water park, Percy."  
I expected him to say something rude to me, I guessed I deserved it after how I'd been treating him but he simply said: "That's okay."  
I took this as some encouragement to say what I had been planning to say next. "It's just..." I shivered. "Spiders."  
I held still, bracing myself for laughter and mocking and "What? You're afraid of spiders of all things" or "But they're so much smaller than you, you probably scare them." These were the things that people usually said when I first told them I was afraid of spiders.  
Even Luke had looked at me and laughed fondly, saying, "Why, Annabeth? They're just little insects."  
But Percy's eyes even didn't even so much as blink, he just continued to look at me with a serious look on his face. "Because of the Arachne story," he said. It wasn't a question, it was a statement...and he wasn't laughing. "She got turned into a spider for challenging your mum to a weaving contest, right?"  
I managed a nod, my voice had gone with the shock of him...understanding me. "Arachne's children have been taking revenge on the children of Athena ever since. If there's a spider within a mile of me, it'll find me. I hate the creepy little things. Anyway, I owe you."  
"We're a team, remember?" He didn't even smile at that praise, it was like he was completely oblivious too it. Because he didn't need it, he liked to help people, I realised. "Besides, Grover did the fancy flying."  
Grover's eyes, which I thought had been closed were suddenly open, "I was pretty amazing, wasn't I?"  
Percy and I laughed.  
I split an Oreo in half and gave part of it to Percy. "In the Iris message...did Luke really say nothing?"  
I watched as Percy crunched on his biscuit and his eyes narrowed slightly in deep thought.  
"Luke said you and he go way back. He also said Grover wouldn't fail this time. Nobody would turn into a pine tree."  
I stared at the floor...nobody would turn into a pine tree. Simple words that had a much bigger meaning. Percy wouldn't end up like Thalia.  
Grover brayed sadly.  
"I should've told you the truth from the beginning." His voice begun to shake. "I thought if you knew what a failure I was, you wouldn't want me along."  
How many times? It wasn't Grover's fault, it wasn't any one's fault that Thalia died. It was the monster and not him.  
"You were the satyr who tried to rescue Thalia, the daughter of Zeus." Percy said.  
Grover nodded, forlorn.  
"And the two other half-bloods Thalia befriended, the ones who got safely to camp..." He was putting everything together so quickly.  
Yes and Thalia was...taken away. I was glad for the poor lighting in the truck as I felt my eyes fill with tears, I blinked them away. Refusing to cry, I had to be tough. Crying would only make Grover feel even more guilty. I put down my Oreo, I felt sick even though I had only barely nibbled on the side. "Like you said, Percy, a seven-year-old half-blood wouldn't have made it very far alone. Athena guided me towards help. Thalia was twelve. Luke was fourteen. They'd both run away from home, like me. They were happy to take me with them. They were...amazing monster-fighters, even without training. We travelled north from Virginia without any real plans, fending off monsters for about two weeks before Grover found us."  
"I was supposed to escort Thalia to camp," he was on the verge of tears. "Only Thalia. I had strict orders from Chiron: don't do anything that would slow down the rescue. We knew hades was after her, see, but I couldn't just leave Luke and Annabeth by themselves. I thought...I thought I could lead all three of them to safety. It was my fault the Kindly Ones caught up with us. I froze. I got scared on the way back to camp and took some wrong turns. If I'd just been a little quicker..."  
"Stop it," I demanded. This was ridiculous, it wasn't his fault. Why did he have to beat himself up so much? "No one blames you. Thalia didn't blame you either."  
"She sacrificed herself to save us," he persisted. "Her death was my fault. The Council of Cloven Elders said so."  
What did they know? The Council of Cloven Elders were a bunch of overweight goats who sat around stuffing their faces all the time and couldn't give a Styx about anything else.  
They couldn't know the difference between justice and the truth it hit them flying in the face. They lived in their own little bubble of joy, in which consisted of food. That was all, period. Anything else was nothing to them.  
So Grover shouldn't be telling me that the "Council of Cloven Elders said so" because that was really the most trivial defence that he could of come up with. When would Goat Boy finally except that it wasn't his fault? This happened 5 years ago. But I hardly thought saying any of this would have the slightest affect on Grover who refused to be swayed even slightly from his so-called "truth" about everything being his fault. He was so good and sweet and caring. Too honest.  
"Because you wouldn't leave the other two half-blood behind?" Percy added. "That's not fair."  
Grover kept on sulking. "It's just my luck. I'm the lamest satyr ever, and I find the two most powerful half-bloods of the century, Thalia and Percy."  
I wanted to say something to make him feel better. "You're not lame," was all I could come up with which was pretty lame. "You've got more courage than any satyr I've ever met. Name one other who would dare go to the Underworld," I could tell from Grover's tear-filled eyes that he wasn't taking any of this in. Why wouldn't he at least try to accept the concept that maybe, just maybe, that it wasn't his fault? He was like... He was brave, heroic. He waited, for Luke and I. My dad would never go that far to save me, Grover risked everything for us. I could never forget that, it was something that I had never been able to put into words. I needed to say something to ease his mind but what could I say to make him feel better? He was so adamant to stay miserable. Then I had an idea, why hear it from me when he could hear if from Percy himself? "I bet Percy is really glad you're here right now." Guessing that Percy would never take the subtle hint I kicked him in the shin so hard that he recoiled in pain.  
"Yeah," His voice with filled with something like defensiveness. I looked into his eyes and say that there was some deep emotion flickering in his eyes like verdant flames. Like he really cared. "It's not luck that you found Thalia and me, Grover. You've got the biggest heart of any satyr ever. You're a natural searcher. That's why you'll be the one who finds Pan."  
And to my amazement Grover didn't say anything at all. He didn't complain, I looked through the darkness to find Grover sleeping peacefully. Relaxed, their was no trace of guilt on his face.  
"How does he do that?" Percy wondered.  
"I don't know," I admitted. "But that was a really nice thing that you told him." It was like he'd taken all the mixed up thoughts in my head and lined them up, straightened them and smothered them in authenticness. It wasn't artificial it was so real and true. I'd wanted to say those words for years but I hadn't known how despite all my reading and being a daughter of Athena, I couldn't. And here Seaweed Brain was, saying the words naturally. Without effort, calmly and coolly and selling it to Grover. It wasn't to do with brains, or what you said, that was the mistake I'd been making for years. No, it was how you said it, what you put into it. Percy was really...down to earth. And that was a lesson that no book, no person, could ever teach you. It lay within your soul.  
"I meant it." Percy said with feeling.  
I closed my eyes and lay my head against the hard wall of the truck.  
I thought about the Underworld, just where was it. We didn't know the exact position of it, how could we stop the war if we couldn't even find Hades?  
The fate of the world was in our hands, if we made a mistake...we were dead and the rest of the planet. So many people would be hurt, the Camp, innocent mortals who didn't know anything about the feud at all...Luke. My dad-  
No my dad could go to Hades. I wouldn't care less, I couldn't care less. He didn't want me, he didn't care. I insisted, but what if... What if there was a possibility, hypothetically, that someone could change in 5 years? If I was to go back the would I be treated like dirt again? Or would I know what it felt like to be really, truly loved by my father? But I wouldn't do it, my heart had been ripped out a million times already by my dad already but still, what if...  
"That pine-tree bead," Percy said rather abruptly, startling me. I opened my eyes. "Is that from your first year?"  
What, why...? Oh. I looked down, I had been holding my necklace.  
"Yeah," I explained. "Every August, the councillors pick the most important event of the summer, and they paint it on that year's beads. I've got Thalia's pine tree, a Greek trireme on fire, a centaur in a prom dress-now that was a weird summer..."  
I smiled at the memory with nostalgia.  
"And the college ring is your father's?"  
I immediately felt my body stiffen. "That's none of your-" I cut myself off, Percy had saved my life, I should tell him about the ring. What was a bunch of words compared to a life? "yeah. Yeah, it is."  
"You don't have to tell me." Percy said gently.  
"No...it's okay." I tried to calm myself with a deep breath. "My dad sent it up to me folded up in a letter, two summers ago. The ring was, like, his main keepsake from Athena. He wouldn't have got through his doctoral programme at Harvard without her...That's a long story. Anyway, he said he wanted me to have it. He apologised for being a jerk, said he loved me and missed me." Huh. As if I would ever believe that. "He wanted me to come home and live with him."  
"That doesn't sound so bad." If only it was that simple.  
"Yeah, well...the problem was, I believed him. I tried to go home for that school year, but my step mum was the same as ever. She didn't want her kids put in danger by living with a freak. Monsters attacked. We argued. Monsters attacked. We argued. I didn't even make it through the winter break. I called Chiron and came right back to Camp Half-Blood."  
"You think you'll ever try living with your dad again?"  
"Please. I'm not into self-inflicted pain." But I couldn't look into those bright burning eyes. Maybe, the truth was I wanted to be cared for by my dad. I wanted to give him a second chance, I just didn't want to risk getting hurt again.  
"You shouldn't give up," Percy persisted. "You should write him a letter or something."  
"Thanks for the advice but my father's made his choice about who he wants to live with."  
We drove in silence again and I listened to the sound of the bumpy road beneath us as the tires passed over them.  
"So if the gods fight," Percy said after a while. "will things line up the way they did with the Trojan War? Will it be Athena versus Poseidon?"  
I rested my head against the backpack, it was so soft... I felt my eyelids droop and then close over my eyes. "I don't know what my mum will do. I just know I'll fight next to you."  
"Why?"  
If I hadn't been so exhausted I'd have rolled my eyes at him. "Because you're my friend, Seaweed Brain. Any more stupid questions?" I felt safe with him, like I could trust and rely on him. Percy was so daring, so passionate and heroic. He was even kind of funny when you looked on the brighter side of his sarcastic comments. And I could trust him because he was my friend.  
I felt shielded, snug with Percy sitting here next to me. And so warm, his body heat seeped through me and I could smell the distant scent on the ocean...  
I fell into a deep, peaceful sleep. Dreaming with a feeling of security and freedom as if all the barriers between Percy and I had been broken down.

I woke up to the sound of Grover bleating urgently.  
"What is it Grover?" I sat up from the backpack, rubbing my eyes, which I had been sleeping on.  
"They're coming, like, now." His voice was panic-stricken  
I listened, outside I could hear voices. "We better go and check out the animals." said a deep, gruff voice.  
"Uh huh." another voice grunted. In the distance a door slammed, with a start I realised that the truck was no longer moving.  
"Oh gods' they're coming round the back!" I yelled, jumping to my feet.  
"I know!" Grover yelled. "We have to wake up Percy."  
I looked down, Percy was still sleeping although his breath was coming out at irregular, quick paces. His face looked scared, another nightmare, I guessed. I felt sorry for him, it must be horrible to be having nightmares night after night and know that they're not just dreams. They're messages, I thought of my own message from my mother.  
Grover shook Percy's shoulder, Percy let out a huge gasp of air and his eyes flicked open. "The truck's stopped," Grover told him. "We think they're coming to check on the animals."  
"Hide!" I cried and then slipped on my cap of invisibility. Percy and Grover jumped behind the feed sacks just as the trailer doors opened.  
"Man!" Cried a trucker and swatted the air away from his nose. "I wish I hauled appliances." Then he stepped inside the vehicle and filled some more water into the animals' dishes.  
"You hot, big boy?" He said to the lion and splashed the remnants of the water from the jug into it's face.  
The lion roared, I had to bite down on my lip to hold my a growl of my own. This creep, how could he? There were laws against this, treating animals cruelly was wrong.  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said the trucker. I could see Grover silently fuming under the turnip sack. He looked ready to kill the guy which, while being very justifiable, was slightly worrying because if Grover jumped out of the sacks then we would be caught. No ride for us. However that didn't stop me from picturing Grover beating up the guy and me helping him.  
The man gave the poor zebra a bag which I recognised as McDonald's, the fast food shop that I visited a few times when I lived with my..., anyway, it looked as if it had been thrown inside a rubbish tip and dragged all the way to Timbuktu over various mountains. He grinned wickedly, "How do ya doin' Stripes? Least we'll be getting rid of you this stop. You like magic shows? You're gonna love this one. They're gonna saw you in half!".  
I snarled under my breath and then walked over towards the wall on the right, being careful not to make a noise, then I knocked. We needed to get out of here, now.  
After the man inside the truck ( his name turned out to be Maurice) yelled to the trucker outside, Eddie, what the noise was. I added a few more knocks and soon he was outside, cursing at Eddie for being such an idiot. I waited a few seconds just to be safe them took my cap of and materialised next to Percy. "This transport business can't be legal." I was sure of it, this must have been breaking at least several laws. For one there was mistreating animals, two taking them to a circus were they would be cut in half, three not keeping the animals in good conditions, starving them and not feeding them properly. And the journey had been pretty rough, did these people even have a license?  
"No kidding," Grover agreed then waited for a second, listening for something. "The lion says these guys are animal smugglers!"  
Percy, stared at the zebra with the look that Grover had just had before telling us what the lion had said.  
"We've got to free them!" Grover said. We both turned to Percy, waiting for his approval.  
He stared thoughtfully at the zebra, his eyes widening slightly before something like understanding swept through his eyes. I guessed that he could talk to members of the horse family, his father did create them after all. That was pretty cool, only satyrs could normally read animals minds as they were part animal themselves. Very interesting... Maybe it was because Percy was an animal and that was why he could understand them, I choked back a laugh at my own joke as Percy drew out his sword and slashed through the metal bars of the zebra's cage, freeing it. Then it did the weirdest thing, it bowed to Percy. For some reason this brought on a whole new wave of laughter which I muffled by biting my tongue.  
Grover stretched his hand out towards the zebra and said something to it in goat bleats. Some kind of blessing, I guessed.  
Maurice stuck his head back into the truck, probably coming to see what all the commotion was about and the zebra jumped over his head and landing in the middle of the road, running full speed ahead down the street. There was the sound of people shouting and car horns being beeped. We ran to the door just in time to see the zebra speeding through a boulevard. The two truckers paced after them. Not a good idea, I thought, smirking as a couple of policemen chased after them screaming, "Hey! You need a permit for that!"  
"Now would be a good time to leave," I told them.  
"The other animals first," Grover insisted.  
Percy slashed at the cages again and Grover repeated the same blessing. Then Percy wished them good luck before the Grey Rhebok and the lion raced off together through the streets of L.A.  
There were flashing cameras as tourists took pictures of the animals racing down the road while others screamed in fear.  
"Will the animals be okay?" Percy asked Grover. "I mean the desert and all-"  
"Don't worry," Grover assured him. "I placed a satyr's sanctuary on them."  
"Meaning?"  
"Meaning they'll reach the wild safely," That was good. The animals deserved to be back home with their comrades, they'd probably been locked up in the dirty old truck for weeks. "They'll find water, food, shade, whatever they need until they find a safe place to live."  
"Why can't you put a blessing like that on us?" Percy asked.  
"It only works on wild animals." I smiled, the chance was too good to resist.  
"So it would only affect Percy," I joked.  
"Hey!" Percy protested but I could see his eyes lighting up. I could feel my smile getting bigger in response. He was a good guy, it was nice to be around him without arguing all the time and just joking around with each other. We were okay together now, we were just two buddies laughing with eachother. Friends., I said the word in my head and was suprised at how mundane and normal and just how good it sounded.  
"Kidding," I told him. "Come on. Let's get out of this filthy truck."  
It was boiling hot and the weather reminded me painfully of California. I remembered that, once, when I was 6 he took me to get an ice cream. It was just him and me. My stepmother was at work, my half-brothers staying at nursery. The ice cream had a chocolate flake on it and strawberry sprinkles. I didn't like the sprinkles so he smiled at me and said he'd buy me a new one...anything for his little girl, he said, his lovely little girl.  
And suddenly I was having flashbacks of all the good times we'd had together, he offered to read Twelfth Night- the Latin version- by Shakespeare to me and I said no, I'd read it alone. He looked at me sceptically but sat down beside me and then grinned, fascinated when I completed the whole thing and gave my opinion on the improvement that should have been made and the whole character structures. He said I was a bright little thing, wonderful, just like my mother. I walked through the city in a daze, not really paying attention to where we were going, thinking about those few good times that we'd had together.  
I only realised where we were when I looked up and notices a giant sign that read Lotus Hotel and Casino and a big flower, complete with flashing lights and bright colours. It was a lotus, I noticed, it went with the name. I even thought I could smell a lotus blossom. So we were lost then, I was about to tell the others that we might as well backtrack and find a local post office where we could find directions when a doorman who I hadn't noticed standing in front of us spoke, "Hey, kids. You look tired. You want to come in and sit down?" The man sounded generally concerned about us. And so did Medusa. But the guy looked so mortal, he couldn't be supernatural. All Greek Gods and monsters had a certain look to them, I had learned that very recently. I'd seen the gods on Olympus before and they all radiated some sort of aura, like Ares radiated anger and all the bad things associated with war. Just as monsters had one particular feature to them that gave a hint towards who they were, Medusa wore a veil to conceal herself and Echidna's eyes looked animal-like. And this doorman hardly looked like any of those things, he just look sympathetic and caring, completely human.  
Percy, who seemed to be thinking the same thing, nodded and said,"We'd love to come in."  
As I looked inside there were millions and millions of games, literally. An indoor slide and bungee-jumping bridge, video games, a giant TV that was the size of a whole window. "Welcome to the Lotus Casino. Here's your room key."  
Percy blinked, taken aback, "Um, but..."  
"No, no," he laughed. "The bill's taken care of. No extra charges, no tips. Just go on up to the top floor, room 4001. If you need anything, like extra bubbles for the hot tub, or skeet targets for the shooting range, or whatever, just call the front desk. Here are your LotusCash cards. They work in the restaurants and on all the games and rides."  
He gave us each green Lotus Cards.  
But we hadn't payed for anything, there was no way that we could pay for all of the games here, let alone afford a room.  
"How much is on here?" Percy asked.  
"What do you mean?" He said, looked bewildered.  
"I mean," Percy said, looking pretty confused himself, "How much is on here?"  
He laughed again, I raised an eyebrow, what was it with this guy and his totally out of the blue laughing? "Oh, you're making a joke. Hey, that's cool. Enjoy your stay."  
I thought it was pretty weird but it would be good to have a nice, comfy room to hang out in for a while after a whole day cooped up in a dirty truck.  
Our suit had three individual bedroom and a bar with tons of junk food on it. There was a number for room service, towels and soft, fluffy waterbed pillows. Another giant TV like the one downstairs, an actual Internet connection (which was great as I hadn't used the Internet since..., I didn't know why my mind kept on drifting to back then. That was over and done with, I told myself firmly buy the thought still lingered in my head.), the balcony had a hot tub and the position of the balcony couldn't have been better. It was exactly where I would have put it, right about the desert so the sun hit it at just the right angle so it gave of a copper glow, kind of like Percy's eyes except in orange. It was beautiful.  
"Oh, goodness," I said. "This place is..."  
"Sweet," Grover put in. "Absolutely sweet."  
Percy left to take a showing leaving Grover and I in the main room.  
Grover hopped over to the phone to order some cheese enchiladas, no meat while I stared at the computer screen vacantly. I loved this place but I felt so...empty. It was as if a piece had been taken away from me, ever since Percy had told me to contact my dad in the truck, it was as if he had set of an alarm in my head. My thoughts were clouded with what if this happened and maybe, if I tried again...s.  
I couldn't stop thinking about my father, I decided to take shower, that would clear my head.  
I told Grover where I was going and he nodded at me then looked back at the door as a maid arrived with several contains filled to the brim with enchiladas.  
As I stepped into the shower and turned the tap on the water was nice and hot, warm water was scarce at camp, there were so many campers. So many cabins that took showers before Athena that even water that made you shiver was considered good. At least there was water. I washed my face thoroughly with shower gel, lotus blossom scented, of course, then stepped out and wrapped myself in a customised Lotus Hotel and Casino towel then stared at myself in the massive Lotus Casino mirror, leaning onto the spotless sink that gleamed as if it was brand new. My eyes were greyer than usual, they looked slightly apprehensive and my hair was dripping wet, already tangling into a massive blond wave of curls. Holding my towel up with one hand, I reached for a hair dry that I noticed lying down on a small table tucked into the corner of the bathroom.  
"That's lucky, Annabeth." I said to myself as I plugged the hairdryer into a nearby socket and looked around in the small wooden cupboards above me. On the first row that I looked at I found a comb, Straight Hair Forever! the side of the comb read in large print that even I could read. In smaller writing that took my longer to read it said Designed specially for unruly hair. "Very lucky indeed..." I began to pull through tangles in my hair and they came out with surprising ease. It only took me 5 minutes to get my hair looking tidy, I tucked it behind my ears then headed off to the closet to find some new clothes.  
As I opened the expensive-looking door I felt my eyes widen in shock, there wasn't just enough clothes to last for an entire month, there was a whole selection of fancy tops and skinny jeans, sandals, sneakers, trainers, jogging bottoms, socks. And they were all my size.  
I raised an eyebrow. "Very lucky indeed," A bit too lucky. a part of my brain added but decided to let it go. This place was really nice, I was not going to let my stupid anxiety get in the way. I slammed the doors shut, changed into my clothes and then walked back into the main room.  
I discovered Grover sitting down on a sofa by the TV, he'd changed clothes too and there were empty boxes of enchiladas lying on the sofa, and now eating crisps. I walked past him towards the TV to turn it on, "Do you mind?" I asked him. Grover barely looked up from his packet of crisps and made a "Mmmm ummm mmm." sound which I took as a yes. I picked up the remote and flicked through the channels, then paused. There was the National Geographic Channel on here, and even better it was a documentary on The Construction of Ancient Monuments. It was so intriguing, it went into so much detail about the measurements and angles.  
Percy came in, also wearing new clothes and showered, his skin looked so smooth and soft and clean. I mean, he'd just showered but he looked almost glowing. "All those stations," he looked at me in disbelief. "and you turn on National Geographic. Are you insane?"  
"It's interesting." I said, but I couldn't help smile at the startled look on his face.  
"I feel good," Grover said. "I love this place."  
Then, without even so much as a command, his shoes grew wings and he levitated into the air for a few seconds then they landed softly on the ground.  
"So what now?" I asked. "Sleep?"  
Percy and Grover looked at each other, smiling at some secret boy message that they had shared then they held up their LoutusCash cards.  
"Play time," Percy said, grinning.  
I discovered the most brilliant games that I'd ever played, there was a trivia game with interesting questions, mental arithmetic tests, a spelling bee test that consisted of all the top 50 longest word in the English language. An American History quiz, English literature quizzes, a game where you had to decipher the meaning of ancient parables and best of all a game where you. Get this, actually got to design your own city!  
It was the single most captivating thing that I'd ever seen, I didn't know how long I spent on it, all I knew what that I had to finish building it. My city would be the greatest of them all, nothing could stop me.  
I was perfecting the co-ordinates of the towers when someone came and stood next to me.  
"Come on. We've got to get out of here." I scowled.  
Stupid, annoying Percy. Why can't you just leave me alone? I said nothing to him, no one was going to stop me from creating the finest city in history, no one.  
I felt a hand shake my shoulder. "Annabeth?"  
"What?"  
"We need to leave." Ooh, says the whiny little voice.  
"Leave? What are you talking about/ I've just got the towers-"  
"This place is a trap." Whatever. I turned back to my game.  
He shook me again. "What?" Why couldn't he just back of, what was his problem?  
"Listen. The underworld. Our quest!"  
"Oh, come on, Percy. Just a few more minutes."  
"Annabeth, there are people here from 1777. Kids who have never aged. You check in, and you stay forever."  
And I needed to know that because...? "So? Can you imagine a better place?"  
Percy yanked me by the wrist, half pulling it off and dragged me away from my beautiful game. My precious game. He was ruining it.  
"Hey!" I yelled. What did this psycho think he was doing? I'll show him, you mess with my city, you mess with me. I swung my hand, putting my full force onto it and slapped Percy. I struggled but he wouldn't let me go, why was he doing this?  
Then he stared at me with his eyes, they were mesmerizing. "Spiders." he said. "Large, hairy spiders."  
A shiver as cold as ice ran down my spine, I felt as if I had been woken up from a dream, the danger of reality was finally dawning on me. "Oh my gods. How long have we-"  
"I don't know, but we've got to find Grover."  
We found Grover playing Virtual Deer Hunter.  
"Grover!" we yelled.  
"Die, human! Die, silly polluting nasty person!"  
"Grover!" Percy shouted again, Grover held up his plastic gun and pulled the virtual trigger. Someone was a little bit confused...  
Percy stared at me and I looked back, then, working together we pulled Grover away from the game. His shoes fought against us, pulling him the other way by their wings. "No!" he cried. "I just got to a new level! No!"  
The man who had given us our Lotus Cards ran to catch up with us. "Well, now, are you ready for your platinum cards?"  
"We're leaving," Percy told him flatly.  
"Such a shame," the man sad, his eyes sad. "We just added an entire new floor full of games for platinum-card members." He offered us the cards. I wanted to finish the game, really badly, it was almost too painful to resist. But I knew it would be even harder to stay here playing in this bubble of happiness and miss out on my chance to prove myself.  
Grover, however reached out for one eagerly, I stopped him then turned to the bellhop. "No, thanks."  
As we exited the Casino the game seemed more and more drawing. I wanted-no- I needed to finish that game, I wanted to feel the honour and delight of having the knowledge of building my own city. It would feel amazing, I would be filled with pride, everyone would look up to me...  
Then the entire sensation of longing was cut off my the flash of heat lightning, that zig-zagged through my vision, I blinked. The clouds were now deep grey and it looked more than ready to rain.  
I was about to suggest that we find out the date when Percy ran of to a news stand, Grover and I followed him.  
And saw the date. It was one day before the solstice. 24 hours to bring back Zeus's lightning bolt, to prevent World War III.


	13. Chapter 11 Meeting Crusty

Chapter 11. Meeting Crusty

Disclaimer:  
This Fan fiction is based on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief book. I do not own any of the characters, books or really anything thing to do with the Lightning Thief. I'm just re-writing it in Annabeth's perspective.  
-

I stopped a taxi car and told the driver to go L.A. I had an idea.  
The driver looked us up and down skeptically. "That's three hundred miles. For that, you gotta pay up front."  
"You accept casino debit cards?" I asked, crossing my fingers.  
The driver shrugged inhaling smoke from his cigar. Didn't he realise how damaging that was for your health? It made you more likely to get lung cancer and shortened your life span. "Some of 'em," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Same as credit cards. I gotta swipe 'em through, first."  
I gave him the LostusCash card, he stared down at it dubiously.  
"Swipe it," I said, I couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he saw just how much money was on the plastic card.  
His meter machine began to vibrate, all the lights went on and then the infinity sign came up.  
His stupid cigar dropped out of his mouth, I smirked at him as he turned back to us. "Where to in Los Angeles...uh, Your Highness?"  
Much better.

Along the way Percy told Grover and I about a dream that he'd had in when we in the truck.  
"There was a voice...in was deep, the same evil voice that I'd heard in my other dream. It said that 'the exchange went well' and I was in the same pit again, it was dark, a cavern. There was dead spirits drifting around me,"  
"What did he say next?" I asked.  
He looked up me, his eyes perturbed. "He spoke, the next time to someone else that I could see. He said 'He suspects nothing?' and some other voice...I almost felt like I knew the voice answered. Said, 'Nothing, my lord. He is as ignorant as the rest.' " As ignorant as the rest. did that mean all of us, Grover and Percy and I? Was there some secret being kept from us.  
"The thing in the pit told the other person that their six months had brought them much, Zeus's anger's grown, my dad has played his most desperate card. He said now he'd use it against him, that the servant would get his reward as he wished. As soon as both items were delivered into his hands."  
"He called the person in the pit a name..." Percy said, his eyebrows furrowing in concentration. "I could remember it before, I just can't remember it anymore." He said, frustrated.  
"The Silent One? The Rich One?" I prompted. "Both of those are nicknames for Hades."  
"Maybe..." Percy said although he looked uneasy.  
"The throne room sounds like Hades's," Grover added. "That's the way it's usually described."  
Percy shook his head, frowning. "Something's wrong. The throne room wasn't the main part of the dream. And that voice from the pit...I don't know. It just didn't feel like a god's voice."  
I felt all the breath rush out of me in one big gasp. Didn't feel like a god's voice... Percy's voice echoed in my head, repeating the phrase over and over. No!  
"What?" Percy asked.  
"Oh...nothing," I lid. "It was just- No, it has to be Hades. Maybe he sent this thief, this invisible person, to get the master bolt, and something went wrong-"  
"Like what?"  
"I-I don't know," Anything but that idea. It wasn't him. I was simply overreacting, it was not him because it simply could be him, he was locked up in the depths of Hades and he couldn't get out. It wasn't him. "But if he stole Zeus's symbol of power from Olympus, and the gods were hunting him, I mean, a lot of things could go wrong. So this thief had to hide the bolt, or he lost it somehow. Anyway, he failed to bring it to Hades. That's what the voice said in your dream, right? The guy failed. That would explain what the Furies were searching for when they came after us on the bus. Maybe they thought we had retrieved the bolt." Right? Right?  
"But if I'd already retrieved the bolt, why would I be travelling to the Underworld?"  
Yes, why would he? Don't panic Annabeth, it's not him. Calm... Remember? Breath. BUT WHY?  
"To threaten Hades?" Yes, that works. That's it. Well done Grover. "To bribe or blackmail him into getting your mum back."  
Percy whistled. "You have evil thoughts for a goat." Percy commented.  
"Why, thank you."  
"But the thing in the pit said it was waiting for two items," No, Percy, don't. I tried to will him to stop with my eyes but he went on relentlessly. I felt sick. "If the mast bolt is one, what's the other?"  
I barely noticed Grover shake his head beside me, I put all my energy into persuading Percy not to continue. This was dangerous...if he said it it might come true. No, Percy, don't say it! I tried to make my eyes say. Putting all my desperation into simple eye contact, Percy looked at me questioningly, "You have an idea what might be in that pit, don't you? I mean, if it isn't Hades?"  
He just had to ask, didn't he? "Percy...let's not talk about it. Because if it isn't Hades...No. It has to be Hades."  
I stared outside the window for a moment. It was Hades. I told myself with all the force that I could manage, that was it. Nothing more, nothing less. It just was Hades and no one else...not him.  
Hades was bad but he, it froze my blood to even think of what he could do, the power he had. He could use it, he could ruin everything, destroy it all.  
"The answer is the Underworld," I turned around, speaking aloud to Percy but really trying to get my brain to believe this. "You saw the spirits of the dead, Percy. There's only one place that could be. We're doing the right thing."  
And then I was chattering about some plan or the other. I wasn't really trying to give us some method to get us into Hades. I was really just trying to distract myself from thinking of him.

We arrived at Santa Monica at sunset which was pretty fast thanks to the driver's constant speeding. Percy, Grover ad I walked towards the edge of the water.  
"What now?" I asked.  
Percy started at the water in awe, seemed to consider something for a second than began to walk deeper into the water.  
"Percy?" I called. "What are you doing?"  
He ignored me completely and kept walking, the water rising slowly as he walked forward.  
"You know how polluted that water is? There's all kind of toxic waste, nobody actually bothers to cleans this, you know. It could course serious diseases and...and..." I looked down to see Percy had gone. I sighed and sunk down onto the damp sand, pulling my legs up to my chest. "Oh, what's the point?" What was I supposed to do, I couldn't dive in there with him. I couldn't breath underwater, I was a daughter of Athena. I couldn't manipulate water or inhale it without choking. Whatever, I'd learned that when Seaweed Brain wanted to do something urgently he would get it done. No matter what.  
I stared into the murky water, it wasn't clean at all. It was horrible and polluted, I heard Grover sit down beside me and turned my head to look at him.  
He was seething. "What will happen if we don't respect our planet? Don't people know that it makes it harder for satyrs to find the Wild God in this muck."  
I looked at him. "You'll find him, after this quest, after we go to Hades and..." I trailed off, to Hades...or him.  
"Annabeth, I've known you since you where this high," he guestured towards his waist. "You can tell me what's up."  
I shook my head, if I said it out loud it might come true. "I can't."  
Grover looked at me, his wide brown eyes probing mine. Then he looked to the water, to me and then back again. "He," Grover nodded his head towards the surf. "Won't be able to hear you know. I won't tell him, I swear...on my last tin can." Grover said reluctently.  
I smiled but said nothing. I didn't want him to know.  
"Come on Annabeth," he pressed. Then buirried his head in his hands and made a high-pitched screeching noise. "You're making me cry."  
I smirked at him. "You're a really bad liar."  
Grover looked up and smiled back at me. "I've been told." He stared at me for a few seconds then came to some decision. "Okay, you don't have to tell me but, please, Annabeth. Just give me a general idea, please." He blinked his goat eyes, so big and innocent.  
I snorted. "Okay..." I took a deep breath. "I don't think Hades is the thing in the pit."  
"Because...?" Grover prompted gently.  
"Well, you know how Percy said that he was in the pit right. That was like the Underworld," Grover nodded.  
"A cavern."  
"Right, so, yeah... A cavern, in the Underworld..."  
"You think he was wrong?" Grover raised an eyebrow.  
"No, I was just thinking. Maybe it's a different part of the Underworld."  
"He said the voice didn't sound like a god, that it was evil... He said Percy was too weak and too young." I wanted to stop talking but I needed somebody to listen to me, someone to tell me I was being rediculous. "Too young for-" I couldn't continue, my throat felt dry.  
"The prophecy." Grover added softly and then stared down at the sand sadly.  
"Tell me it's not true." I pleaded.  
"I..." Grover wouldn't look at me in the eye. "He'll be fine."  
I stared at him solidly for 10 seconds, he fidgeted. "He'll be okay, I'll stand by him. I won't let anything happen to him. I'll be careful, I won't let anything happen this time. " Grover said intensely. "I'll prove myself this time."  
"Yeah," I said, trying to draw some of his positive energy into me. "He'll be fine."  
Grover and I stood up just a few seconds before Percy rose up from the water, completely dry. One of his powers. I thought.  
"Hey, what's in your hand?" Grover asked, I looked down to see Percy's fist clenched tightly around something.  
He opened up his palm and there lay three little pearls. "The messenger gave them to me," he explained. "She said that when I was in need I should smash the pearl at my feet."  
"Anything else?" I asked.  
"That when I go to Hades I should keep faith and go with what my heart tells me. That what belongs to the sea will always return to the sea."  
This was bad, very bad. "No gift comes without a price."  
Two objects he said, not one but two.  
"They were free." Percy said, I looked at him and sadly shook my head. I was thankful for his clulessness at this point. It was better for him not to know about... I stiffled a shiver.  
"No. " 'There is no such thing as a free lunch.' That's an ancient Greek saying that translated pretty well into American. There will be a price." Grover's positive energy was fading, I could sense it beside me. "You wait." I said to myself.

After searching for money in Ares's backpack we managed to dig out enough cash for a bus ride into the west side of Hollywood. Percy showed the driver the address but he told us he didn't know where DOA Recording Studios was.  
"You remind me of somebody I saw on TV," Uh oh. "You a child actor or something?"  
"Uh..."Percy hestitated then said. "I'm a stunt double...for a lot of child actors." Impressive, that would explain it. He was getting much better at the whole improvisation thing.  
At the next stop we got off then took a look around the neighbourhood for DOA. Whenever we asked someone they all claimed that they'd never hear of it, grover suggested looking it up in a phone book but it wasn't even in there. We had to hide a couple of times in dark alleys from the police, it was pretty weird of the mortals to not have recognised us by now. They must have been living in a dream world or something. Well, I wondered absently. What would they do if they knew that we had only a few hours to stop a war between the Greek gods that could kill all of civilisation. Now that would really burst their bubble. Though I supposed it wasn't really a bad thing as we walked up the road, if they knew what was really going it people would be dropping dead with fear. I stopped when I noticed Percy frozen, staring at something on a TV screen through a shop window.  
I was about to tell him that we needed to get going when I was the look on Percy's face. It was full of that menacing hatred and indignant rage that I had only seen on him once: when he had been talking to Ares. I wondered who he'd been seeing when he'd looked at Ares, he brought up the things you hated the most, the things that set off all your bad feelings. I looked up at the screen and saw a middleaged man being interveiwed by Barbara Walters. There was another lady with him who was stroking him hand as if to sooth him.  
So wet shon on his cheek, a tear but there was something false about it. Something not quite entirely sincere. "Honestly, Ms Walters, if it wasn't for Sugar here, my grief counsellor, I'd be a wreck. My stepson took everything I cared about. My wife...my Camaro...I-I'm sorry. I have trouble talking about it."  
Stepson. I looked back at Percy who looked like he wanted to smash the whole shop window and pulverise the TV screen, oh, his mum's husband. The one she married to protect him.  
"There you have, America," the camera was now focus on the Barbara Walters. "A man torn apart. An adolescent boy with serious issues. Let me show you, again, the last known photo of this trouble young fugitive, taken a week ago in Denver."  
Then a picture flashed up on the screen, it was me, Grover and Percy in the diner at a booth talking to Ares. Oh no. "Who are the other children in this photo? Who is the man with them? Is Percy Jackson a delinquent, a terrorist, or perhaps the brainwashed victim of a frightening new cult? When we come back, we chat with a leading child psychologist. Stay tuned, America."  
I stepped back as Percy lunged out, his eyes full of untamed loathing. "C'mon," Grover told Percy and dragged him away before he could get us into any more trouble. I felt sorry for him, was this a common problem or something? Mortal men, where they all like this? Idiots and fools who didn't care about their children? I looked back at Percy who was breathing rapidly, his fists clenched and his teeth bared.  
The sun began to fade as the evening grew darker. As twilight began to set in strange people began to linger around the streets, gangsters, beggers and other scary people who made me feel like squirming even time there stared at us with dark, cruel eyes.  
As we passed another dark alley, rushing to get away from it there was a voice. "Hey, you."  
I was about to whisper to Percy that we should run when he stopped and then they closed in on us. I didn't bother to count them, all that mattered was that there were more of them than us and I had a sinking feeling that we were in deep, deep trouble.  
Percy drew Riptide, they all stepped away except from the biggest, scariest-looking one who I guessed was their leader who drew a switchblade and started for Percy. Percy swung his sword.  
The boy whimpered but the sword did no harm, I cursed inwardly, he was mortal. Percy's sword was celestial gold, it could only hurt demigods and Gods. The boy's switchblade however could hurt us, very badly, we were half and half. Half god, half mortal and right now if we didn't run then...  
"What the..." the kid looked down, startled.  
"Run!" Percy yelled, knocking two people in front of us out of the way we ran down the street blindly then we turned right.  
"There!" I yelled. There was one shop on the block that had a light on and looked open. There was a sign above the door in red, blue, green, purple, yellow and orange neon that I didn't even bother to try to read. The letters were all scrambled up and meaningless. Stuipd dyslexia.  
"Crusty's Waterbed Palace?" Grover clarified  
We ran through the doors and ducked behind a waterbed just as the gang passed by the shop outside.  
"I think we lost them." Grover said breathlesly.  
"Lost who?" A loud, deep voice boomed.  
We all spun around.  
There was a bald man who was extremely talls, at least 6 and a half feet. His lips pulled back from his yellowing teeth into something twisted and blood-freezing that might've been a smile.  
"I'm Crusty," the man said.  
Percy's lips twitched, fighting a smile, his eyes glowing. Just wondering what he was thinking, seeing that amused look on my face made me want to laugh.  
"Sorry to barge in," Percy said, his face reserved but his eyes still suffesed with amusement. "We were just, um, browsing."  
"You mean hiding from those no-good kids," Crusty muttered.  
"They hang around every night. I get a lot of people in here, thanks to them. Say, you want to looked at a waterbed?"  
I was about to say that we really shouldn't, there was something not quite right about this man and it wasn't just his name or his height...  
But Crusy put a huge hand on Percy's sholdour and pulled him deeper into the showroom.  
Grover and I followed him quickly.  
There was millions of waterbeds in every colour, shape and size.  
"This is my most popular model," Crusty ran his massively over-sized hands over a bed made of soft satin fabric with vibrant Lava Lamp built into the headboard. The mattress vibrated, which, with the glaring lava lamp, resembled yellow jelly.  
"Million-hand massage," he explained. "Go on, try it out. Shoot, take a nap. I don't care. No business today, anyway."  
I was about to refuse the offer, I knew from our recent near-death experiences (and had there been lots of those) that most of the time those experiences happened after we met weird was huge giant or something, that was defiantly weird, when Percy refused for me. "Um," Percy started, "I don't think..."  
"Million-hand massage!" Grover all but rejoiced, he dove into the covers. "Oh, you guys! This is cool." No it wasn't, it was probably a trap. I had a really bad feeling about this guy.  
"Hmm..." Crusty stroked his chin with his hand thoughtfully. "Almost, almost."  
"Almost what?" Percy asked.  
Crusty glanced at me. "Do me a favour and try this one over here, honey. Might fit."  
"But what-" I believed that when Crusty patted me on the shoulder he meant to reassure me, but something about his hands being the same size as a an elephant's foot , unnerved me a little. But any reassurance that did still have was, immediatly, in that moment, dismissed as Crusty pulled me over to the Safari Deluxe model and when I refused to lie down he forced me onto the bed with that elephant foot hand of his.  
"Hey!" I yelled.  
Crusty clicked his fingers together. "Ergo!"  
Ropes that seemed to come from nowhere stretched over the bed, tying me down to the matress. This was bad, this was very, very bad.  
He did the same this to Grover, looked at me then at Percy and broke into a smile. "Almost, darn it."  
Percy tried to step away from Crusty's meaty hand but Crusty's hand lept out with amazing speed and folded around the back of his neck. "Whoa, kid. Don't worry. We'll find you one in a sec." Crusty...Crusty. Why was that name so familiar, yet not a name that I could remember. Crusty, I went through all the names of Greek villains and monsters beginning with the name 'C' but I couldn't find any person with the name Crusty. So why did I feel as if I should know his name?  
"Let go of my friends."  
"Oh, sure I will. But I got to make them fit, first."  
"What do you mean?" Yeah, what did he mean?  
"All the beds are six feet, see? Your friends are too short. Got to make them fit." Make us fit? How? Make us fit...Crusty. Come on Annabeth! Where do you know that name? Grover and I kept trying to escpae but it was no use, the ropes were firmly tightened around us.  
"Can't stand imperfect measurements," Crusty said to himself. "Ergo!"  
New ropes seemed to spring from behind me and some at the bottom of the bed. They wrapped around Grover's and my ankles, at first they were just restricting, then they squeezed tighter and tighter. Until it became hard to breath, then they started pulling me. I could feel my bones stretch out, it hurt. My muscles tightened then twisted, I could see the same happening to Grover... Come on! Crusty, Crusty, Crusty... Stretching... I didn't know anyone in history named Crusty but it sounded like the nickname of...Procrustes! I wanted to tell Percy but I didn't have enough air to speak.  
"Don't worry," Crusty turned to Percy. "These are stretching jobs. Maybe eight extra centimetres on their spines. They might even live. Now why don't we find you a bed you like, huh?"  
"Percy!" Grover shouted desperately. I tried to catch Percy's gaze with my eyes but he was looking the other way, it was no use. I squeezed my eyes shut and willed him to realize who 'Crusty' was.  
"Your real name's not Crusty, is it?" Thank the gods!  
"Legally, it's Procrustes," he confirmed.  
"The Stretcher," Yes!  
"Yeah. But who can pronounce 'Procrustes'? Bad for business. Now 'Crusty', anybody can say that." Come on Percy, cut the chat short and save us! By now my legs and arms were burning, like they were on fire, I couldn't think straight; I was too busy feeling my legs being pulled.  
"You're right. It's got a good ring to it." What?!  
Crusty's eyes seemed to twinkle. "You think so?" NO! Hurry up Percy!  
"Oh, absolutely," Shut up and rescue us! "And the workmanship on theese beds? Fabulous!"  
Crusty's whole face lighted up. "I tell my customers that. Every time. Nobody bothers to look at the workmanship. How many built-in Lava Lamp headboards have you seen?" DON'T CARE! OWWWW! The ropes were digging into my flesh now, my bones felt like they were just a minute away from breaking point.  
"Not too many."  
"That's right."  
My stretching and near-death sate broke through my breathlessness. My lungs hurt but I yelled regarlessly, "Percy! What are you doing?"  
"Don't mind her," I gritted my teeth another tug stretched my thigh bone. "She's impossible." Me impossible? You're the one who is having a polite conversation with Mr Stretcher Man here and quite frankly, while your friends get pulled to death by ropes.  
Crusty laughed, if I hadn't been tied down I would have leapt out of the bed and ripped his stupid head off. "All my customers are. Never six feet exactly. So inconsiderate. And then they complain about the fitting."  
"What do you do if they're longer than six feet?"  
"Oh, that happens all the time. It's a simple fix." I hissed as my ankle bone clicked as the ropes pulled it away from my legs. I bend my foot upwards, trying to keep it from dislocating.  
Crusty released Percy's neck then pulled out an axe from the nearest sales desk. "I just centre the subject as best as I can and lop of whatever hangs over on either end.  
"Ah. Sensible."  
"I'm so glad to come across such an intelligent customer!" I was fighting to keep my eyes open; I could feel myself blacking out. It took all my willpower to stare at Percy and Mr Stretcher Man.  
"So, Crusty... Does this one really have dynamic stabilizers to stop wave motion?" Percy was staring over at some kind of Honeymoon bed. I couldn't make out the label, not because of my dyslexia but because black dots were starting to cloak my vision.  
"Absolutely. Try it out."  
"Yeah, maybe I will." Idiot! He'll just stretch you too, although I wouldn't mind seeing that, considering that he was just letting Grover and I stretch to death. "But would it work even for a big guy like you? No waves at all?" Half of my vision was covered over, I could almost hear my bones cracking.  
"Guaranteed."  
"No way."  
"Way."  
"Show me." Why would Percy want to see?  
Crusty at down on the bed enthusiastically. "No waves. See?"  
A mischievous light seemed to shine in Percy's eyes, he looked down at Procrustes. Oh. I suddenly knew what he was going to do.  
He clicked his fingers. "Ergo.  
Ropes, like my own, tightened around Crusty. "Hey!" he protested.  
"Centre him just right,"  
The ropes positioned themselves at Percy's imposition. Crusty's head popped up at the top as did his feet at the bottom.  
"No! Wait! This is just a demo."  
My left eyes flicked closed despite all my effort. I was about to faint, defiantly and I couldn't even struggled anymore. My legs and arms lay limply on the duvet.  
Percy uncapped Anaklumous. "A few simple adjustments..."  
"You drive a hard bargain," Procrustes spat. "I'll give thirty percent off on selected floor models!"  
"I think I'll start with the top."  
"No money down! No interest for six months!" Percy swung his sword towards Crusty's head. It looked like Procrustes wouldn't be stretching people for a while... Just as the pain grew to be so unbearable that my brain began to shut itself off and blackness began to completely fall cover my vision.  
Percy, thank the gods, cut the ropes off my legs then did the same with Grover's.  
"You look taller." I glared at him.  
"Very funny," it wasn't even remotely humorous. "Be faster next time."  
Percy looked over at the bulletin board after Mr Stretcher Man's desk. I spotted something that resembled the yellow pages, I glanced at the title. 'The Only Monstourous Yellow Pages you'll ever need!" Underneath it was an orange flier that was for DOA Recording Studios, putting forward delegations for heroes' souls. Beneath that was a little bit of writing then DOA's address and a map.  
"Come on," Percy told us.  
"Give us a minute," Grover protested. "We were almost stretched to death!" The feeling was mutual.  
"Then you're ready for the Underworld," Percy told us. "It's only a block from here."

Hey everybody!  
Thanks for reading, I will continue this piece very shortly.  
Please comment. Your constructive suggestions as to how to improve my writing are warmly welcomed.


	14. Chapter 12 Empathic

Chapter 12. Empathic.

Disclaimer: This Fan fiction is based on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief book. I do not own any of the characters, books or really anything thing to do with the Lightning Thief. I'm just re-writing it in Annabeth's perspective.

In the darkness of the Valencia Boulevard I felt an eerie sense of doom. I guess that was because of the sign underneath DOA RECORDING STUIDOS. That declared: NO SOLICITORS. NO LOITERING. NO LIVING. Grover asked what the time was; my watch said 5 minutes to midnight which made me feel tired. The lobby's lights glowed through the double-glazed windows and a security guard sat behind a desk wearing dark sunglasses. He was talking into an earpiece. The lobby was bursting with people And not just any people, my mind whispered, Dead people. Percy turned around and spoke to Grover and I, "Okay. You remember the plan." "The plan," Grover swallowed hard. "Yeah. I love the plan."  
I had a sinking feeling, "What happens if the plan doesn't work?"  
"Don't think negative." I felt a flash of anger that wasn't directed at Percy, it was at the fact that we were most probably going to get killed if the plan didn't work. I narrowed my eyelids. "Right," I snapped. Saying the next bit with sarcasm which had rubbed off on me from Percy except there was no trace of humour in my voice. "We're entering the Land of the Dead, and I shouldn't think negative."  
Percy looked down at his pocket, his black eyelashes spilling over his eyelids onto the top of his cheeks; he felt around his pocket for a second then brought out the 3 pearls and stared at them sadly. It was almost as if his thoughts were being thrown at me: What if she's right, what if it doesn't work...  
I felt immediately guilty, here Percy was, leading a quest; feeling the same thing- no, more, no feeling more worried than all of us as he had every right to be. He was not only risking his own life, the whole world'slife depended on him. Grover and I were only here to support him. He had all of the weight on his shoulders and if the pearls didn't work then what if he couldn't save his mum...? I placed my hand on Percy's shoulder.  
"I'm sorry, Percy. You're right, we'll make it. It'll be fine."  
I stared at Grover expectantly; waiting for him to say something, instead all he did was look at his Wasteland shirt sleeve hungrily. I jabbed him in the ribs. Grover winced, I glared at him pointedly. "Oh, right!" I almost rolled my eyes. "We got this far. We'll find the master bolt and save your mum. No problem."  
Percy stared at me, then at Grover, half-smiling as he put the pearls back inside his pocket. "Let's whup some Underworld butt."  
I grinned as we walked inside the lobby, seeing Percy upbeat again was having its effect on me, I was starting to feel kind of hopeful too. We could, as he put it, 'Whup some Underworld butt.'  
I caught Grover looking at me questioningly, his eyes said: "What's so funny?"  
I shook my head.  
Grover folded his arms and blinked his goat eyes slowly with both of his hands clasped together as he swung them from side to side.  
I laughed out loud at his expression, he smirked back. "A terrible liar." I mouthed.  
Grover quickened his pace so he was now walking in line with me, "Am I really that bad a liar?" he asked, sounding with mock-offence in his voice, bringing his hand up dramatically to his chest.  
"Terrible," I laughed, hitting him playfully on the arm. He grinned back at me.  
I almost forgot where I was as I watched Grover pretend to cry. Although I flashed right back to reaity as I realised that Percy had stopped walking in front of me.  
Facing me was the security guard who I realised wasn't just a security guard. He was the security guard. Of hell, no pun intended. The guard of Hades: Charon.  
Percy shuffled beside me. "Your name is Chiron?" he asked, eyeing the nametag at the front of the desk.  
Charon leaned forward over the desk. His glasses were pitch black, his smile seeming pleased yet threatening at the same time. Like Ares as he controlled the waitress at the diner: patronising and deadly.  
When he spoke his voice was foreign. It was something that I almost recognised as British but then pinpointed to be that of a Frenchman who had learnt English as a second language.  
"What a precious young lad." He said, staring at Percy in a way that made me want to stand in front of him protectively. "Tell me, mate, do I look like a centaur?"  
"N-no." Percy stammered. I felt sorry for him; dyslexia really did get you into a lot of trouble at times. I remember...back then at school a teacher yelled at me for not being able to read something on the whiteboard. I cried. It seemed pretty stupid to me now but then I actually cared what mortals thought of me. Like I needed mortals now, especially not my dad... Right?  
"Sir," the man said without the slightest hesitation,  
"Sir,"  
With long, thin fingers Charon picked up his name tag, letting a single yellow nail glide over the printed text for emphasis.  
"Can you read this, mate? It says C-H-A-R-O-N. Say it with me: CARE-ON."  
"Charon."  
"Amazing! Now: Mr Charon." While Percy was being uncharacteristically serious I was silently cracking up beside him. It was the way Charon's voice went up and down as he said his name: Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaare-on, like it was some sort of song.  
Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaare-on. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee're on-our way to the Underworld. Sooooooooooooo we can see Haaaaaaaaaaaay, haaaaaaaaaaay-haaaaaaaaaydeeez. Pleeeeeeeeeeeze. Yeah!  
I hummed the tune in my head, a giggle almost slipped out, I caught it just in time by biting down on lip. I flicked my concentration back to the situaaaaaaaaaaaaation. Where Charon and Percy were having a conversaaaaaaaaaaaaa-tion."  
(Sorry, couldn't resist. Darn ADHD) I just caught the end part of the sentence: "'How may I help you little dead ones?'"  
Dead ones. I shivered internally but quickly collected myself as I saw Percy's eyes on me, asking me to say something.  
"We want to go to the Underworld," My voice sounded strong and courageous, which was good. Because it was nothing like what I was feeling inside.  
Chiron's mouth twitched as if he was surprised at this. "Well, that's refreshing?"  
I raised an eyebrow. "It is?"  
I had been expecting him to say something else like: "What do you want to do that for?" or "You're not dead, get outta here!" or maybe, if we were lucky, even "Ok, let's get you guys off then!"  
"Straightforward and honest. No screaming. No 'There must be a mistaken, Mr Charon'"," he said and stared at us. I held my breath, praying that he wouldn't recognise us as demigods. "How did you die, then?"  
I exhaled. Percy elbowed Grover who cringed. I smirked at him, that was twice in the space of only 3 minutes.  
"Oh," he said. "Um...drowned...in the bathtub." I mentally rolled my eyes at that. Firstly Percy couldn't drown; he was the son of Poseidon. Very few people die in bathtubs...especially together. And there were no bathtubs at camp- only showers. If there were the Aphrodite cabin would be soaking in them forever and trying to make themselves look more "beautiful".  
"All three of you?"  
As one we nodded solemnly, trying our best to look genuinely sincere.  
"Big bathtub." Charon said, I laughed internally at his stupidity but silently thanked the Gods for letting him be so ignorant. I thought he looked impressed at us. "I don't suppose you have coins for passage. Normally, with adults, you see, I could charge your American Express, or add the ferry price to your last cable bill. But with children..alas, you never die prepared. Suppose you'll have to take a seat for a few centuries."  
"Oh, but we have coins." Percy place three golden drachmas on the counter. I remember the money that he'd taken from Crusty. Good job for remembering.  
"When now..." Charon licked his lips greedily. "Real drachmas. Real golden drachmas. I haven't seen these in..." He lifted his fingers over the coins, as if ensure that they were really present.  
Then the thing that I'd been dreading the most about this, the thing that I most didn't want to happen at the moment. Did.  
Charon finally stared at Percy, took a good look and seemed to be seeing Percy for the first time. A dark feeling of foreboding passed over me.  
"Here now. You couldn't read my name correctly. Are you dyslexic, lad.?"  
"No," Percy lied smoothly. "I'm dead."  
But not smoothly enough.  
Charon leaned over his desk and smelt Percy, immediately recognising his demigod scent. It didn't help that his scent was stronger than any other demigods, he was a son of the Big Three. We should of gotten Grover to do the talking, then again Grover was a satyr.  
"You're not dead. I should've known. You're a godling."  
"We have to go the Underworld,"  
Charon gave a deep, throaty growl; at that very instant everyone was scurrying around the room which was now buzzing with noise.  
"Leave while you can," he said. "I'll just take these and forget I saw you."  
I was about to tell Percy that we should go, try another tactic. This was obviously not going to work. But Percy's hand reach out onto the counter and, in a flash, swiped the money off the desk.  
"No service," he said, appearing undisturbed by Charon's icy glare. "No tip."  
Charon growled again, it was menacing, warning us to leave before he did something bad to us. And I had a feeling that that bad thing would really make us end up dead. Grover shivered beside me.  
"It's a shame, too," I stared at Percy in wonder. How could he sound so casual at a time like this? "We had more to offer."  
He picked up the whole bag from the Stretcher's stash and pulled out an entire handful of cash then let it drip slowly through his fingers. Charon's eyes followed the gold coins eagerly.  
His growl slowly subsided. "Do you think I can be bought, godling? Eh...just out of curiosity, how much have you got there?"  
I smirked faintly, so he could be bought...but at what price?  
"A lot," Percy assured his. His voice was businesslike, I smiled. It was weird to see him talk without sarcasm. "I bet Hades doesn't pay you well enough for such hard work."  
"Oh, you don't know the half of it," Charon complained. "How would you like to babysit these spirits all day? Always "Please don't let me be dead" or "Please let me cross for free". I haven't had a pay rise in three thousand years. Do you imagine suits like this come cheap?"  
What do you need a suit for, I thought, The dead don't care what you're wearing.  
"You deserved better," Percy said, nodding at Charon like he agreed. I was about add something to that but I was taken aback my the fact that Percy could actually agree with somebody on something. He was so stubborn in an oddly good kind of way; I liked it that he would always stand for what he thought was right. "Good pay." Percy continued, taking a drachma out of the bloated sack at placing it in front of Charon was he spoke.  
Charon looked down at his jacket, Italian, I guessed. I knew pretty much the facts on everything but fashion was where my knowledge came to an end. To me fashion was unnecessary, unless it was to impress Luke. I tried to breathe evenly I will not hyperventilate, I will not blush, I will not react to how Luke's name sounds so beautiful in my head. I will not react to the fact that Luke is the most handsome guy at Camp...  
"I must say lad," Charon said. "you're making some sense now. Just a little." Oh really, now?  
Percy took a few more gold coins out of the sack as he spoke once again in that, casual business-man, voice again, saying: "I could mention a pay rise while I'm talking to Hades."  
Charon let out a long wary sigh but his eyes where pull of excitement. Poor guy, he really thinks he's getting that suit, doesn't he?  
"The boat's almost full, anyway. I might as well add you three and be off."  
He got off his smart office chair, picked up our money then turned to us. "Come along."  
We made our way through the crowd, pushing away restless spirits as we went. Some of them started trying to hold onto our clothes, saying something in a language that I couldn't place.  
"Freeloaders." Charon grumbled and pushed them out of the way. He walked us tp the lift which was filled up with more of the dead who were all holding some kind of green ticket which I guess was their transport pass. Charon shoved two struggling spirits who were trying to catch a ride with us out of the elevator.  
"Right," Charon turned to back to the crowded waiting room. "Now, no one get any ideas while I'm gone. And if anyone moves the dial off my easy-listening station again, I'll make sure you're here for another thousand years. Understand?"  
What did he mean? "What happens to the spirits waiting in the lobby?" I asked.  
"Nothing." Charon replied simply.  
"For how long?"  
"Forever, or until I'm feeling generous."  
My stomach churned, so if we died in the Underworld then we'd end up stuck here forever- or when Charon was 'feeling generous'. "Oh," I said, struggling for words. "That's...fair."  
Charon looked at me as if I was very peculiar. "Whoever said," his tone was mild but it still made me shiver. Forever was a very, very long time. "death was fair, young miss? Wait until it's your turn. You'll die soon enough, where you're going?"  
Die soon enough, were you're going... the phrase echoed in my mind.  
"We'll get out alive." Percy said with his chin held up and his eyes blazing with that determination that always took my breath away with it's intensity.  
"Ha."  
I looked down at the dirty ground of the elevator, was Charon right? Would we die?  
Suddenly I felt a jolt through the ground underneath me, forcing my teeth together to hold in a cry I looked up at Percy. But something else caught my attention, my body recognised that the direction we were going in was no longer down but straight forward...into what?  
The depths of the Underworld that with be your death place. my mind hissed. I shook the thought off and looked back up, the air was swimming with grey mist, encircling me. Swarming around me. The spirit's already translucent forms grey paler as their clothes transformed in the blink of an eye from normal, casual clothes to long grey robes.  
At first I thought that it was that I was shaking that everything around be seemed to tremble but when I looked down I found that the whole floor was vibrating in huge shudders and waves.  
I was going to turn to ask Charon if this was supposed to happen when there was flash of white light, so bright that it scolded my eyes just looking at it. I quickly clamped my eyes shut, throwing my fists on top of them just as quickly to stop any light coming through my eyelids.  
Then there was a voice. Percy's. I was sure of it. His voice snapped my eyes open, he was staring at a skeleton. I was sure that I was about to throw up when I recognised who it was: Charon. His skin was nearly invisible, I could see right through him to his bones.  
My stomach lurched as another tremor ran through the...  
I looked down were where we now?  
I discovered that there were planks of wood beneath my feet, my eyes followed the thin lines that ran between to another long, curved plank of wood. No, there were two planks of wood, I realised as I looked to the other side. I leaned up a little higher to see clearly over the plank of wood and saw...  
"The River Styx," I gasped. "It's so..." I couldn't find a word to describe it.  
"Polluted," Charon finished for me. "For thousands of years, you humans have been throwing in everything as you come across- hopes, dreams, wishes that never came true. Irresponsible waste management, if you ask me."  
The water was infested with rubbish, thick, disgusting mist curles off it. In the distance, on dry land, there was a glow...green. It wasn't the warm, gentle green of Percy's eyes. It was harsh and dangerous.  
Bloodcurdling.  
And suddenly my hand reached out for Percy's before the action even registered in my brain properly. I didn't know what I was doing all I knew was that I needed someone to keep me safe, to protect me like Luke had. I found my hand slipping into his. He was going to pull away, I knew it. I didn't like him that way anyway. So why in Hades did it mean so much to me? He surprised me by squeezing my hand back in the softest, warmest, gentlest motion. I closed my eyes, trying to block out my surroundings and concentrate only on the fact that Percy was here with me. Holding my hand, as long as we were together I was safe.  
I heard Percy beside me murmuring something so soft and distant that I almost missed it but the urgency inside it sent my brain off into red alert. I focussed on his voice. "God...whichever God. Please, whoever's listening, help us. We need your help; we're here in the Underworld and this place is really scary..."  
I shivered letting Percy's voice blend into the sound of the swishing water below, I figured I should probably pray too. I was so afraid but what could the Olympians do? They weren't here. They weren't anywhere near here, they were billions of miles away above the earth and we were here in the dark place. In the Lord of the Dead's domain where he made the rules and I hardly thought he would help us seeing as he probably wanted us killed.  
I noticed that Percy had stopped praying, the silence was disturbing, his voice had been the only thing that had assured me that he was here with me. Now his voice was gone. My eyes opened in a minisecond, searching for him. Then I saw him, staring out of the boat is horror. I refused to look, I didn't want to know what was out there, I'd see it later anyway.  
"Old Three-Face is hungry," Charon the skeletons said. He smiled as the sickening green glow of the shore hit his face, showing every single corner and curve of his frightful skull in an even more horrifying light if that was possible. "Bad luck for you, godlings."  
Then he was off, sailing away from this terrible place. Up into a world where the sun would shine and the people upstairs, no matter how deceased they were, would be human. And not...not what we were about to face.

As we walked through the Underworld my first reaction was to check out the look on Percy's face.  
His eyes were wide open and I smiled to myself, he never knew what to expect did he?  
Then again, none of us know what we're walking into right now. My mind whispered. I pushed the thought away and remembered Percy's earlier words. "Don't think negative.  
I breathed in deeply through my know and scanned through the three rows of people, queuing to get through the metal detectors and into Erebus. Further down there were more skeleton people but I tried to avoid looking at them too much, they reminded me so much of death and that reminded me that we were in the land of the dead and everyone around us was dead.  
I stepped a little closed to Percy and Grover.  
"What do you figure?" Percy ask me.  
"The fast line must go straight to Asphodel," I was sure of it. I'd read up on this place as much as I could before the journey, and of course, I'd picked a few things up from earlier reading. "No contest. They don't want to risk judgment from the court, because it might go against them."  
Percy raised an eyebrow, "There's a court for dead people?"  
"Yeah. Three judges. They switch around who sits on the bench. Kind Minos, Thomas Jefferson, Shakespeare- people like that." Percy nodded slightly at this information, his blue-black hair falling into his eyes. I breathed in, thinking of how Luke's own hair- sandy, blonde hair-, fell into his sapphire eyes.  
I pictured him standing her next to me but I didn't feel sick or like blushing...I felt wary?  
What in Hades?  
I continued my speech, still puzzled by my emotions. Something just felt wrong when I had pictured Luke, it was like... I don't know. When he went on that quest and failed so badly, when he was still there I had felt sickening dread before he had even returned with the news. But what did that have to do with this quest, anyway?  
"Sometimes," I continued, still puzzled by my emotions. "they decide on punishment. But most people, well, they just lived. Nothing special, good or bad. So they go to the Fields of Asphodel."  
"And do what?"  
My mind felt so clouded and tired. I just couldn't think straight, there was something that I should know...that I should understand... But I didn't.  
Mother, I prayed silently. What's going on?  
I stared into the green mist, feeling exhausted like I had overworked my brain or something. But I was a daughter of Athena, I learnt how to spell antidisestablishmentarianism when I was two. How could I have overworked my brain.  
I was dimly aware of Grover and Percy talking about some special punishment from Hades as I envisioned Luke before me.  
Luke, I thought to the image of him in my mind. Are you okay?  
Mind-Luke shook his head and then there was a flash of light in my head, so bright that I nearly thought that I could physically see it with my eyes. It was something long and straight like a pole with curly things coming out of the side of it.  
I shook my head, maybe it was just the stress of having ghosts around me that was making me imagine things. It's the stress, that's all Annabeth. my mind reassured me but there was still something clouding my mind, dread. Fear and it didn't feel like fear of this place. It was something that I couldn't quite put my finger on which made me irritated.  
Nothing annoys me more than not knowing something. Trust me. When Malcolm found out that the World Record 2007's page 375, extreme sports section had misspelt the word because as becausse I practically beat him to a pulp.  
"He's a Rottweiler," Percy astonished voice broke through my, quite amusing, metal flashback of me fighting with my second-in-command in the sword arena and chopping all his armour to pieces.  
I looked up and realised that I was staring up into the face...no, faces. Three to be exact of Cerberus.  
Hades's dog.  
Cerberus was huge, not that I hadn't heard that before but now that he was standing right her into front of me, his three pairs of hungry eyes boring into our faces and probably thinking how nice a meal we would make I suddenly felt ready to run away screaming.  
But of course I couldn't leave. I had to stay with Percy and keep him safe and I had a point to prove. That I was perfectly capable of being someone to my fath-  
No to the Camp not my dad. Never, my dad. The one who made me feel like I was worth nothing? No way! I mean, it's not like I want to be playing happy families with him again with that horrid wife of his and really belonging somewhere other than Camp.  
"I'm starting to see him better," Percy voice whispered beside me. "Why is that?"  
I looked up at Cerberus in alarm, I could see him almost clearly. "I think..." I paused, the words jammed in my throat. "I'm afraid it's because we're getting closer to being dead."  
The middle head of the three leaned forward towards us. It smelt the air surrounding up and let out a deep, hungry growl.  
"It can smell the living," Percy said, his eyes like a tsunami of worry.  
"But that's okay," Grover said, shivering. "Because he had a plan."  
"Right," I felt awfully cold, I was shivering too. Either that or it was just the dreadful suspense that hovered in the air around us... "A plan."  
We took a few steps closer to Cerberus, I kept my eyes focussed on the ground, now the cold was gone. It was replaced by the heat of two pairs of eyes. Taking a good look at it's prey.  
Cerberus let out a fierce snarl then yelped, my ears felt like they were going to burst.  
"Can you understand it?" Percy asked Grover over the howling of the monster.  
"Oh yeah," Grover said grimly. "I can understand it."  
"What's it saying?"  
"I don't think humans have a four-letter word that translates, exactly."  
I swallowed hard, telling myself that we had a plan. A plan that would get us to Hades uneaten, right?  
Percy was taking out the makeshift 'stick' that we had found at the Stretcher's place, it was a snapped off bedpost. Hopefully that would do...  
"Hey, Big Fella," Percy called to the massive Rottweiler. "I bet they don't play with you much."  
Cerberus let out an agitated growl.  
"Good boy," Percy said, his voice was quiet which was alarm because when was Percy ever quiet?  
Percy showed the stick to the dog, waving it up above his head like a flag. One head fixated it's eyes on Percy's stick and the other too stared at Percy, his glare unwavering.  
Oh no.  
"Fetch!" Percy threw the stick high up, his arms making a full circle in the misty underworld air. They were more muscle-y, I briefly noted, more defined though if a person's been fighting off monsters 24:7 then you could assume such a thing.  
There was a splash of water from what I assumed was the stick crashing down into the polluted waters of the River Styx.  
I held my breath, staring down at the ground. Please let Cerberus fetch the stick, please let Cerberus fetch the stick, please...  
I slowly rose my head up from the ground. Positive thinking.  
The monster was staring at Percy with malicious eyes, like he was getting ready to attack him.  
Oh great. That's were wistful thinking gets you...  
Cerberus's growl was now getting deeper and gruffer. Angrier as he stared at Percy like he was a cross between a boxing bag and an ice cream cone...  
"Um, Percy?" Grover said.  
"Yeah?"  
"I just thought you'd want to know." Grover was shuffling nervously.  
"Yeah?"  
"Cerberus? He's saying we've got ten seconds to pray to the god of our choice. After that...well...he's hungry."  
I cursed under my breath, ten seconds and we were dead meat. Literally.  
Come on, Annabeth. There's always some sort of solution...come on. I reigned in my fear and panic, clearing my head quickly. Right, we've tried bribery, there's no way we can fight this thing but maybe there's a cross between the two that... yes!  
I knew what I was going to do. "Wait!" I yelled. I pulled out the ball that I had taken from the Waterland shop and channelled my thoughts back to when I was 6. I pictured a small Doberman, just a puppy but despite it's size it had tons of energy and was always messing around with my stuff.  
I remembered when it had picked up one of my architectural books in its jaws and I had to persuade it. Not being too harsh yet not soft... A perfect balance.  
Balance, I told myself, Keep the balance. My heart thumped.  
I walked over the Cerberus, making each footstep and movement count. I relaxed my shoulder blades but held my head high, I worked at making my eyes firm and my voice commanding.  
"See the ball?" I repeated something Mrs Jenison had said when I first took the puppy to obedience classes with my father.  
"Be calm, she'd said. And never let the dog sense fear in you. Not ever. You must remain dignified, you have the power. This is a dog and you are its superior."  
Well, seeing as this dog was about the size of a skyscraper then you could say that it was loads more superior than me but I forced myself to follow Mrs J's instructions.  
Calm, no fear, dignity, power. I am superior. I said in my mind. Maybe if I could think it then it would be true. Maybe I was calm and fearless; I could do this...  
"You want the ball, Cerberus? Sit!"  
The dog stared at me, his misty eyes bewildered. All of his head moved to the side in perfect synchronization...Lenard did this when he was confused too. I forced myself to imagine Lenard, a hyperactive Doberman staring at me right now. I am superior.  
"Sit!" I repeated, trying to make my voice carry around the room. Trying to sound bold.  
I was aware of Grover and Percy's eyes on my back, they probably thought that I was a psycho, maybe I was trying to tell the Lord of the Dead's guard dog to sit.  
But I held my bold expression as Cerberus's three lips were moistened by three large pink tongues, knowing that the dog could sense even the slightest trace of doubt.  
Then he leaned his weight backward and sat down on the ground, trapping the passer-by spirits underneath his rear end. I forced myself not to get distracted by them, I needed to be fully focussed for this.  
"Good boy!" I said and threw his the ball which he caught in his mouth. It looked like a mere apple seed in his 10 foot jaws, his other mouths fought each other for it.  
"Drop it!" I said, making my voice persuasive but not wavering in my firmness.  
Cerberus stopped immediately and stared at me, his eyes so big and round. I got the feeling that he hadn't had anyone to play with in a while, he'd been neglected. In his eyes I could see a thousand tales of sorrow and loneliness.  
My heart ached. I knew all too well what that was like...  
The dog whimpered, his voice was so sad as he placed the ball at my feet obediently.  
It was covered in slobber by now but I didn't care about it at that instent, we needed to get out of here quickly.  
"Good boy," I said to Cerberus then I turned to the boys. "Go now. EZ DEATH line- it's faster."  
Percy opened his mouth to protest, Grover looked like he was about to do the same.  
"I-" Percy started.  
"Now!" I said, speaking to him firmly but persuasively. It had seemed to have worked with the dog so why not with Percy?  
Percy and Grover moved forward carefully, Cerberus growled, detecting their uncertainty.  
"Stay!" I shouted to the dog, looking at it directly in the eye, ignoring the pang of sadness that I felt. "If you want the ball, stay!"  
Cerberus whimpered again but didn't move, just stayed there staring at me with those painful eyes.  
"What about you?" Percy's voice came from behind me. I thought you were gone. But of course I'd known that Percy wouldn't just get up and leave, he never left a good argument hanging. He always had to be so stubborn.  
"I know what I'm doing, Percy," I said to him, looking at him out of the corner of my eyes as not to take my eyes of Cerberus. "At least, I'm pretty sure..."  
Percy looked back reluctantly then followed Grover, walking underneath the dog's legs.  
I looked at Cerberus and mentally threw all my memories at him, all the arguments between my stepmother and I. All the times my father had excluded me from his new 'family'. I opened myself up to the creature, showing him that I could emphasise. I didn't think that he would understand but I was desperate, I couldn't let Cerberus sit on my friends.  
Still looking at Cerberus through my left eye, I let my right eye follow the guys who were almost through Cerberus's long legs. With one last thought I pictured the look on my dad's face the day before I went...the way he had thought that I didn't belong here. Like I was some alien, how that had made me cry all night and all through the morning as packed.  
I looked back again with my right eye, Percy and Grover were on the other side!  
"Good dog!" I exclaimed, using my last grain of energy to sound enthusiastic. I felt tired and the memory of my dad's face that night... My eyes felt wet.  
I showed Cerebus the red ball once more, even though it was in pieces and severely damaged.  
I threw the ball, knowing that after this I would have nothing more to give. Cerberus caught it just as quickly as the last time, his heads knocked into one another, trying to snatch the ball away from the other.  
As it did this slipped underneath its legs too and stood next to Percy and Grover.  
Percy looked at me, his eyebrows raised. "How did you do that?"  
"Obedience school," I said, my heart still pounding with adrenaline. "When I was little, at my dad's house, we had a Doberman..." my throat felt hoarse.  
Grover cut me off which was good because tears were piling up in my mouth, obstructing my voice.  
"Never mind that," he said. Pulling at Percy's top, looking alert. "Come on!"  
As we started forward, getting ready to sprint to the top of the line a familiar cry stopped me.  
I turned back and looked into the face of my new friend. His breath came out quickly as he stared at me, waiting for me to throw him something else.  
"Good boy," I said. Having found my voice but now could not hold back the anxiety.  
He cocked his head to one side again, like he was concerned for me. I could feel my throat closing up again.  
"I'll bring you another ball soon," I said, knowing that it was almost a sure lie and that I might never see him again. "Would you like that?"  
He cried out again, still waiting for me.  
"Good dog. I'll come visit you soon. I-I promise." I couldn't look any longer, I turned away. "Let's go."  
We went through the metal detector which blared red lights and declared, "Unauthorized possession! Magic detected!"  
Cerberus barked.  
As we passed through the gates of EZ DEATH Cerberus's melancholy voice rang through my ears. More alarms flashed and exclaimed things about magic items.  
A while later as we hid inside the trunk of decaying tree I laid my head back against the rough bark. Blinking away my tears desperately.  
"Well, Percy," Grover whispered inside the trunk as the dead security men called for backup on their walkie-talkies. "What have we learned today?"  
"That three-headed dogs prefer red rubber balls over sticks?"  
"No," Grover said. "We've learned that your plans really, really bite!"  
Percy frowned but didn't say anything.  
I turned my head away, remembering how lonely Cerberus had looked as I'd left him.  
A creature, so immensely big and strong, known to be fierce and cruel was not. He was hurt, mistreated; he needed someone to care for him. To take the time to get to know him...and that's all I've ever wanted, for someone to like me and want to spend time with me and he'd understood that.  
It was like we'd had some connection and I understood him, he understood me and now I'd abandoned him, too.  
Just like my dad did to me.  
Just like Hades did to Cerberus.  
Just like any other heartless loser in the world, a tear caught on my eyelash and dripped down my cheek.  
I wiped it away, noticing Percy looking at me, I looked up at him. Meeting his sea green eyes and he looked at me with compassion then turned his head away in the other direction.  
Being careful not to look at me again, being respectful.  
Maybe if my dad was more respectful towards me then I would be living with him now because that's all I'd ever wanted...  
Someone to be sensitive to my feelings. Empathic.

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	15. Chapter 13 Walking into the Unknown

Chapter 13. Walking into the Unknown

Disclaimer: This Fan fiction is based on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief book. I do not own any of the characters, books or really anything thing to do with the Lightning Thief. I'm just re-writing it in Annabeth's perspective.

The Fields of Asphodel reminded me of a black and white TV screen.  
The grass was black, as were the trees were, the stactalites of the ceiling were a dull grey and hung down towards the ground in a point so sharp that I thought that it could pierce human flesh.  
This was a disturbing thought as we trudged through Asphodel seeing them scattered around the ground and trembled unstably above us.  
We tried to stay with the crowd and look more suited to the environment whilst keeping a lookout for any more security ghouls.  
The spirits of the dead faces' were a grey colour that, when you stared at it for more than few seconds, seemed to evaporate into white and then nothing at all.  
Some of them came up to us and whispered in a language that sounded like a mixture of clicks and high pitched chatters with a slight fizzing noise which, once again, reminded me of an old TV.  
I thought it was kind of sad, being stuck there with no one to understand you and no one to talk to. Not knowing what judgement you'd face but then I remembered that we were doing the same.  
We were walking blindly into the darkness not knowing if we'd ever see light again...

The crowd grew even thicker if that was possible as we progressed through the Fields of Asphodel, then above us there was a faded grey poster that read:

JUDGMENTS FOR ELYSIUM AND ETERNAL DAMNATION  
Welcome, Newly Deceased!

This really, really did not make me feel welcome at all. In fact I blinked for several seconds longer than usual, using the extra time alone to pray Athena. Even though I knew that would be useless down here. Would we be newly deceased after this?...I didn't know.

As we exited from the back of the tent there were a couple more lines, dramatically smaller than all the others.  
On one end the dead were getting pulled along my the security towards the Fields of Punishment which I couldn't see clearly from the distance, only the dark orange flames lashing out from the ground, but decided not to try to look any further. As I could hear a cry full of torture and rabid fear.  
I turned my head away from the sound, staring at the much more pleasant side of the line.  
It made a trail towards a thin valley and was closed off by thick that were centred in such a balanced, even manor that I was sure that any person who tried to jump it would be knocked unconscious.  
A clever design. I thought.  
I lifted my eyes to the top of the wall were I saw something so beautiful that it made me step back a bit.  
It was a large, round space filled with little village's spaces about. The houses were all from different time periods: the sensible-looking Victorian mansions, the Roman domuses. I sighed as I admired the beauty of Egyptian hieroglyph on a small wooden hut.  
There was the sound of laughter, birds chirping happily, the sky above it were pale blue and there was even a little stream flowing gently along the middle of it.  
On the other side there were three other little groups of houses. There was a smell of delicious food cooking, there were exotic flowers among the fresh green grass.  
The Isle of Blest, for those who had done good for their past three lives.  
I suppose it came as a big surprise, to see so much colour and beauty in the Underworld, the realm of Death.  
When I die, the thought came to me suddenly. I want to go here.  
I looked to my right to see what Percy thought of it. Probably amazed. I was right, Percy's eyes were wide and glowing with awe.  
Oddly I could also tell what he was thinking, for some reason I could do that now. Maybe it was because we'd grown closer or something or maybe it was just that I'd grown more used to how his seaweed brain worked.  
"That's what it's all about," I told him. "That's the place for heroes."  
I looked at Percy's face again, expecting him to say something in reply but he was gazing off over to Elysium and the Isle of the Blest. He was frowning slightly and the sparkle in his eyes had now faded leaving only sadness.  
I knew how he felt, the comparison of the millions of people who'd been in Asphodel and Punishment were as big as a mango was to a mustard seed.  
Reluctantly I walked on, watching as slowly the colour and laughter faded into the distance and left only stale grey.  
And in the distance there was the sound off wings flapping against the cold underworld air and the dark silhouette of three soulless monsters who had killed my best friend...  
"I suppose it's too late to turn back," Grover said sadly.  
Percy lifted his chin up. "We'll be okay," he said, though his eyes flickered ever so subtly. Something that I might've missed before but now I felt almost connected to Percy in this cold, dark place were the only living people who were here were Percy and Grover. Anxiety, I thought, reading his eyes and expression, "Determination, anxiety and fear.  
"Maybe we should search some other places first," Grover said hastily then he paused, his goat eyes bright as if observing how sweet the idea would be."Like, Elysium, for instance..."  
I rolled my eyes. "Come on, goat boy." I said as I pulled on his left arm. We needed to keep going. The sooner we get to Hades...the better. I thought then questioned that thought after I remembered that Hades wanted Percy and, most probably Goat Boy and I, dead.  
Grover whimpered as his winged trainers grey wings and he zoomed forward through the air in an awkward jolt then he sunk down into the ground.  
"Grover," I said, exasperated while finding his need to get away from here acceptable. If had winged trainers then I would probably have flown away someone peaceful above this gloomy cavern. "Stop messing around."  
Grover's brown eyes widened. "But I didn't-"  
Then he let out another cry, the wings on his shoes were beating furiously fast now. Suddenly the hovered above the ground, paused for a second then lifted Grover up with them and hauled him away in the opposite direction.  
"Maia!" he yelled but the word only echoed emptily across the dull room. "Maia, already! 911! Help!"  
I was frozen on the spot, unable to move through the shock of what I was seeing... It was the fact that Grover was getting pulled away by his winged trainers and that their magical command wouldn't stop them, that was bad but at the moment I was seeing something other.

I saw a thin swirl of silver and then I was 8 years old again and Luke had come back from his quest.  
"Luke! You're back!" I screeched in my 8-year-old voice, I threw my arms around him. He hesitated for a few seconds then I felt one long, strong arm wrap around my shoulders and pull me close to him and the other stroking my curly hair out of my face.  
"Annabeth," he said my name softly as I squeezed him even tighter. I was glad that he was back. "I've missed you so much."  
There was something in his voice...something off. Something wrong, something bitter and hard.  
"What's wrong, Luke?" I asked, immediately concerned.  
"Nothing," he said. His voice sounded cold. "Nothing at all, Annabeth's." His arms felt stiff around me, I looked up into his eyes which were so much higher up than my own.  
They looked sad, I was confused. "Why are you sad Luke, aren't...aren't you happy to see me?" I felt hurt filling my heart.  
"No, no. I'm glad to see you, Annabeth's. I really am." He said although he wouldn't look at me in the eye.  
I caught sight of his scar as he turned his face away. It was a long, white mark across his forehead. One so deep and sore and red that I knew that this would never heal, it had been ripped and chiselled solidly his flesh and it would last for a lifetime. It must have really hurt. I thought.  
"How did you get that?!" I blurted out; I bit down on my lip. ADHD had gotten the better of me.  
Luke stared unseeingly down the hill towards the lake, his lips drawn heavily downwards. When turned back to me, his voice was sharp. "Why do you need to know?"  
I blinked, not understanding why he was so angry and upset. "Did I do something bad, Luke? I-I'm sorry..." Tears welled up in my eyes.  
Luke turned back to me, he was still frowning but his eyes softened and he wrapped his arms around me against and kissed my hair. "No, don't be sorry Annabeth's. It's not you, don't be upset, okay?"  
His sapphire eyes met my own stormy grey ones. My throat was still choked up with tears.  
He brushed his finger against the side of my cheek and I felt his breath against my forehead. Warm and soft. "You're a brave little kid aren't you? You're a Daughter of Athena and the brightest 8-year-old I've ever known."  
I nodded and tried to smile but more tears rushed down my cheeks. Luke brushed them away with his, long, smooth fingers. "Shh..." he whispered to me as he held me close."Please, stop crying. For me."  
I stared into his sapphire eyes, so wide and caring. The sadness was still there but now it was more directed towards me and it was a more concerned kind of sadness. Probably at me crying.  
I didn't want to make Luke sad so I swallowed deeply, blinked a few times so my eyes were free of tears and said. "Okay."  
"Good," Luke said as he loosened his embrace from around me and started to move away from me.  
"No!" I yelled. "Why are you leaving?"  
Luke looked at me; his eyes were now filled with sadness that was no longer directed at me. It was like he was regretting something.  
"I have to go and, um, do something. Will you be brave and go back to your cabin like a good, sensible little girl?"  
I didn't want to leave him but something inside me, the kid me who wanted to play and have fun as much as any other child, some intuition passed down from my mother nagged at me and told me that it was important that I left Luke alone. "Yes...bye Luke."  
Then I watched as he walked away from me, watched as the sun hit his sandy blonde hair that rippled slightly in the wind.  
With a feeling of deathly foreboding.

The vision began to dissolve and the real situation at hand became clear. Percy was running after Grover who was flailing hopelessly as his winged trainers pushed harder as faster against the air, he was gaining speed and fast. There was no way we could catch him, I ran over to Percy, processed the problem, quickly evaluated my hypnosis and yelled, "Untie the shoes!"  
It was the only thing I could come up with, there was no way we could get near enough to Grover to untie his shoes but the problem was that the wings on Grover's shoes were now beating so powerfully that it was virtually impossible for Grover to be past enough to untie them and this chance was largely narrowed by the fact that he was whizzing through the Underworld at 100mph.  
We ran after him, trying to follow him as he duck under spirits who complained in their strange, Underworld language.  
As we neared Hade's palace I started to get worried that Grover would smash right through the gates but just as he reached it his shoes swivelled to the right and pulled him back the other way.  
The road went further and further down and I got the feeling that we were somewhere deep down in the earth. Yeah, we were in the Underworld but this felt a really dark place that hadn't been disturbed in ages. Like we were on the verge of waking something...  
I silently hissed another prayer to Athena, Please, please. Not another monster.  
Grover shoes were going full speed ahead now, the air seemed to ripple away from him and you could almost see a faint trail of dust that he left in the air as he zoomed past.  
The room seemed to get smaller and smaller, more and more enclosed. And darker, much darker as we dashed after Grover.  
"Grover!" Percy yelled, his voice carrying over the hollow room. "Hold on to something!"  
"What?" Grover shouted back as his hands snatched desperately at gravel. It wasn't helping, there wasn't enough friction on the gravel and there was just too much force on Grover's part.  
The last shimmers of light dimmed into nothing and I started to shiver, an icy wind blew against my face. It smelled foul, it was the scent of danger and horror. It was...  
My heart pounded in my chest and it wasn't because I was running. Percy froze in horror and I knew that he saw it too...  
It was tunnel, wide and dark. A cavern, with a chasm...it fitted Percy's description of his dream perfefectly.  
"Come on, Percy!" I shouted and grabbed onto his arm.  
"But that's-" Percy started to explained, his eyes wide with horror.  
"I know!" I yelled back, feeling sick. "The place you described in your dream! But Grover's going to fall if we don't catch him."  
Percy seemed to realise the seriousness of the situation as he sprinted forward again. I ran by his side, Grover was twisting and turning around awkwardly in the air, his face panic-stricken. I swallowed; he was hovered just metres above the edge of the pit.  
Percy grabbed his arm and I grabbed the other and, somehow, together we managed to pull him back up the dark, hill.  
We sunk down onto the hard ground and breathed deeply. My chest heaved and sweat beaded my forehead. My gods...di immortals... It was...it was...  
I stared down the slope into the darkness of this pit.  
Grover was bleeding badly, his hands were wounded and he shivered in terror.  
"I don't know..." he said in between heavy breaths. "I didn't..."  
"Wait," Percy said. "Listen."  
I felt sick but I knew that now I had to say it, there was no choice. I had to tell Percy that it was him, there was no way of getting around it. I'd seen it with my own eyes now and the pit was every bit as dark and desolate as I had envisioned it in my mind.  
"Percy, this place-" I started but Percy stood up abruptly. I raised an eyebrow but he only said, "Shh."  
Grover propped himself up hastily and looked around, his pupils contracted with fear.  
"Wh-what's that noise?"  
I listened and there was a sound that froze my blood, a low, deep murmur that set off warning signals all over my body. It was old, the voice with the anger of someone who had been trapped against their will, taken prisoner for eternity. Someone who wanted revenge.  
"Tarturus. The entrance to Tarturus."  
Percy drew his sword, there was glow of light. Faint but bright against the dull walls of the Underworld.  
The voice paused for a split-second then continued to speak; he was saying something, something that didn't sound normal... But what was normal in the Underworld?  
But the voice, it was smooth and deadly and flowing but they words seemed mechanic.  
As if being recited, as if...  
I looked into Percy's eyes and knew he had come to the same realisation as me.  
"Magic," he said, verbalising my thoughts.  
"We have to get out of here," I said. This wasn't good, we shouldn't be here, with Percy and...and...  
Kronos the thought slipped through my mind before I could shield against it's horrible essence. Lord of the Titans.  
We pulled Grover up into stand position and ran as fast as we could back to the above world, though it was hard to imagine that there was an above world. We were surrounded by evil and darkness...was there light? Was there hope?  
Then there was a wind, cold and threatening. Wrapping itself around me, pulling me in, I opened my mouth my I couldn't scream. The air gagged me as it struggled to pull me backwards, it was trying to sway me at all angles and I couldn't hold on. I was so weak and tired.  
I took a brief look into Percy eyes as my legs pounded against the sinister air.  
Yes, I knew immediately. Yes there is. There has to be because he's here and I'll protect him, he is my friend and I will protect him so there must be hope. There's a way, there must be.  
And with one last push I broke through the invisible force that had tried to pull me in.  
Broke through the thing that I had dreaded for the last 5 years of my life and was faced with the light of Asphodel and joyous signing.  
He cried out in fury, it seemed to pulse around my head and filled every single corner of my ears with malevolent ire.  
We headed towards a field where we laid down on the grass, too tired and scared to care about anything other than being away from him.  
"What was that?" Grover gasped. "One of Hades's pets?"  
I locked eyes with Percy as the truth flashed through my mind. I could tell that Percy was wondering what I was thinking about. Trying to piece this whole thing together but was to shaken to want to draw a conclusion.  
He put his sword away then said, "Let's keep going." He turned to Grover. "Can you walk?"  
Grover gulped and a tremor ran through his body. "Yeah, sure. I never liked those shoes, anyway." I could tell he was trying to sound bold about it but the fear was plain on his face and almost as strong as my own.  
I knew I could no longer put Kronos out of my mind, I could no long deny that it.  
We walked to the palace of Hades, not knowing what would become of us there. We were walking into the unknown, anything could happen.  
But we had a duty, a quest and we had to fulfil it.

The palace was dark and surrounded with, well, the tone of death. The dark walls were painted with various images of people's deaths and the whole building radiated an aura of darkness. They made me feel uneasy so I tried not to stare at them too much although the tortured faced seemed to stare at me like Medusa's statues which freaked me out even more.  
The courtyard with filled with the most beautiful gems, shining brightly in the sunlight. There was a sapphire one that reminded me surprisingly of Luke's eyes, it seemed to stare at me as I made my way through the garden but I tried to ignore it. I didn't want to think of what else could be wrong here, enough bad things had happened.  
In the middle of the courtyard were exotic flowers and plants. Some glowed in the sunlight and others seemed to make their own light in the shade, sparkling like pearls.  
There were the largest, sweetest, ripest fruits just sitting there in the garden, doing nothing. The smell was fragrant and teased my nose, I wanted to pick one but I knew that I couldn't. We were in the Garden of Persephone. One taste of this stuff and you'd be stuck here forever.  
I told Percy who dragged Grover along quickly as he drooled hungrily, staring after the swollen fruit.

As we walked through the obsidian palace, I noticed the excessive used to skeletons. At every door, every step and there was a skeleton guard, all dressed in the same sensible army-like uniform.  
As we finally reached the door to Hades's chamber, sure enough, there were two skeletal guards. Held tightly against their chest were two colossal guns so big that they were almost as big as me, I trembled to wonder how much damage they could do. The guard's eyes seemed stare right through me.  
"You know," Grover murmured, his voice shaking slightly. "I bet Hades doesn't have trouble with door-to-door salesmen."  
"Well, guys," Percy said. "I suppose we should...knock?"  
A stifling wind came whistling down the corridor, and the doors unfastened themselves. The two guards moved stiffly to the side as if mechanic.  
"I guess that means entrez." I told Percy and Grover.  
Inside the room looked like what Percy had described in his dream, except something was different. I wanted to ask him about it but I was distracted by a sudden urge to bow down at Hade's feet, I wanted to stay here. Hades was a god, he was great and powerful and everything I wasn't and-  
No," I told myself firmly. Hades has no power over you, it's his aura. Ignore it, he's no less an idiot than Ares.  
Despite this, I still couldn't control the feeling.  
"You are brave to come here, Son of Poseidon," his voice was sly and sent shivers up my spine. "After what you have done to me, very brave indeed. Or perhaps you are simply foolish."  
I felt tired, maybe I should just go to sleep for a while. Maybe wake up in a few hundred years and...  
I will not give up, I will not give up, I will not give up I internally repeated. I wondered how Percy was dealing with Hades's aura, he had a pretty pained look on his face but he stepped forward, regardless. "Lord and Uncle," Good start, I noted. Acknowledging his power formally but not being too formal. "I come with two requests." Letting him know what you want firmly but without rudeness. Always a good beginning.  
Hades hoisted an eyebrow, as leaned forward on his throne; faces that were clearly in pain and anguish were illuminated on his clothing. I wondered what fabric his clothes were made of they looked like silk but then again silk just couldn't have faces like those printed on them... The clarity of the faces are amazing, who made these?  
"Only two requested," Hades voice broke through my daydream. "Arrogant child. As if you have not already taken enough. Speak, then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet."  
Percy swallowed, he was looking at something, I followed his gaze to the smaller throne that was alongside Hades's that was shaped like a flower, as dark as the night, showered with gold. Persephone, it was her throne. I also knew from Olympians 101 that Persephone had a gift for soothing Hades's bad moods. I wished that she were here, though I knew it would do no good. She was in the above word, the light and sunshine with her mother Demeter. Probably having the time of her life, and he we were, we just had to be in Hades in the absolute darkness without her here facing Hades's lividness. I looked back at Percy again, the silence was becoming deafening. I decided to intervene; I cleared my throat loudly and poked my finger into Percy's back.  
"Lord Hades. Look, sir, there can't be a war among the gods. It would be...bad."  
"Really bad," Grover backed him up.  
"Return Zeus's master bolt to me," Percy requested. "Please, sir. Let me carry it to Olympus."  
Hades eyes glowed ten shades brighter. I swallowed, hoping he wouldn't get too angry, or... we were dead.  
"You dare keep up this pretence, after what you have done?"  
What? I was confused, Percy hadn't done anything except come to the Underworld, he hadn't even been rude about Hades sending the monsters. What was Hades talking about?  
Percy shot me a confused look and I could only shrug back, mystified.  
"Um...Uncle," Percy started awkwardly. "You keep saying 'after what I've done'. What exactly have I done?"  
The room shook violently and I was sure that the vibration was so powerful that up in Los Angeles they probably thought there was a mini- earthquake happening. Dust fell from the ceiling, which worried me a little; if Hades didn't stop then the whole room might have caved in, doors suddenly broke open along the brick walls and out came skeletal combatants, despite the daunting feeling of it all, it was really interesting. Renaissance warriors from 1540s, World War 1, 2 soldiers, Cold War territorial armies from 1945-1991 and many more. I'd read about all these people and although I wasn't really keen on learning about soldiers and stuff my mum once told me. "It is wise to know all that you can learn."  
"Do you think I want war, godling?" Hades's voice almost made me jump, Grover gave me a look that told me he knew the feeling.  
"You are the Lord of the Dead," Percy said slowly and cautiously. Good, take it slowly, don't anger Hades. He may kill us...and that would be bad. "A war would expand your kingdom, right?" Yes. My thoughts exactly but why was Hades acting like this?  
"A typical thing for my brothers to say! Do you think that I need more subjects? Did you not see the sprawl of Asphodel?" True, now that I had come to think of it what would Hades's want with a gazillion more dead people in his realm, and I knew that Hades was the Lord of the Dead and all but somehow...stealing Zeus's lightning bold didn't seem like his style. What? Of course he took Zeus's lightning bolt, I knew sure as Styx that it couldn't have been Percy. He was a true hero and certainly not a thief.  
"Well..."  
"Have you any idea how much my kingdom has swollen in the past century alone, how many subdivisions I've had to open?" True... something just didn't add up.  
Percy opened his mouth to speak but Hades was unstoppable now.  
"More security ghouls," he complained. "Traffic problems at the judgement pavilion. Double overtime for the staff. I used to be a rich god, Percy Jackson. I control all the precious metals under the earth. But my expenses!" Oh yeah...Charon. I bit my lip and decided that now wasn't the best time to mention it concerning Hades's 'I want to destroy you' mood.  
"Charon wants a pay rise," Percy blurted out, I rolled my eyes in frustration. Trust him to remember that now. I internally damned ADHD to Tarturus.  
"Don't get me started on Charon! He's been impossible since he discovered Italian suits! Problems everywhere, and I've got to handle all of them personally. The commute time alone from the palace is enough to drive me insane!" Huh, figures why you're acting so weirdly. "And the dead just keep arriving. No, godling. I need no help getting subjects! I did not ask for this war."  
I was so confused, I couldn't wrap my mind around all these concepts. Hades stole the King of the God's most powerful weapon; the most powerful weapon in the history of the most powerful weapons. Why was he denying it, there was no point lying now.  
"But you took Zeus's master bolt."  
"Lies!" Another mini-earthquake shook the ground. Gods, this guy needs an anger-management councillor. the ADHD side of me thought.  
Hades shot up straight as straight as a beam pole. Styx was he massive; he looked like he was an overgrown psychopath who had escaped from the local asylum. "Your father may fool Zeus, boy, but I am not stupid. I see his plan."  
Okay...looks like Hades was a lot more messed up that I thought. I remembered some random piece of information that I had learnt about delusional grandeurs and Hades had the first symptom: he was having false belief, even in the face of blatant evidence and he did look like a mad guy.  
"You were the thief on the winter solstice," Delusional, seriously, completely, utterly delusional "Your father thought to keep you his little secret. He directed into the throne room on Olympus. You took the master bold and my helmet. Had I not sent my Fury to discover you at Yancy academy, Poseidon might have succeeded in hiding his scheme to start a war. But now you have been forced into the open. You will be exposed as Poseidon's thief, and I will have my helmet back."  
Helmet? Hades's helmet was missing as well? How strange...I had a strange feeling. Some weird cross between realisation and confusion. I felt like I should know how the two stolen objects were connected but I just couldn't find a link. "But..." I thought hard again but I was still coming up blank.  
"Lord Hades, your helmet of darkness is missing, too?"  
"Do not play innocent with me, girl. You and the satyr have been helping this hero- coming here to threaten me in Poseidon's name, no doubt," Why would I do that? My mother would blast me to pieces and Poseidon probably hated me as much as he hated my mother. "-coming here to threaten me in Poseidon's name, no doubt- to bring me an ultimatum. Does Poseidon think I can be blackmailed into supporting him?" This made no sense; there was a link between the two, but... I didn't know. I felt the urge to hiss, I hate not knowing something.  
"No!" Percy protested. "Poseidon didn't- I didn't-"Percy seemed at loss for words.  
"I have said nothing of the helmet's disappearance," Hades all but growled. "because I had no illusions that anyone on Olympus would offer me the slightest of justice, the slightest help. I can ill afford for word to get out that my most powerful weapon of fear was missing. So I searched for you myself, and when it was clear you were coming to me to deliver your threat, I did not try to stop you." My head was spinning, my brain felt so overloaded. I could keep up with Hades, what in the world he talking about?  
"You didn't try to stop up? But-"  
Hades cut Percy of with his sharp, deep, angry voice. "Return my helmet now, or I will stop death," Gah! He wouldn't, would he? "That is my counter-proposal. I will open the earth and have the dead pour back into the world. I will make your lands a nightmare. And you, Percy Jackson- your skeleton will lead my army out of Hades." I stifled a jerk, Grover caught my eye sympathetically. The skeleton soldiers from all the ages marched one step forward, drawing their weapons. I expected Percy to be scared or panic, scream even but what he did was brainless, dull, dim-witted, ludicrous...and gallant, courageous and fearless. His eyes took on an exasperated light; they looked like a stormy day at the seaside. The green waves crashing against each other, he took a death breath as if to brace himself and said, "You're as bad as Zeus. You think I stole from you? That's why you sent the Furies after me?" I was so stupid! That was why the Furies said it instead of him on the bus. They were looking for the Helm of Darkness.!  
"Of course." Hades confirmed as if it had been an obvious fact all along.  
"And the other monsters?"  
Hades grimaced. "I had nothing to do with them. I wanted no quick death for you- I wanted you brought before me alive so you might face every torture in the Fields of Punishment. Why do you think I let you enter my kingdom so easily?"  
My mind was filled with question marks.  
"Easily?" My words exactly.  
"Return my property!" I sighed internally, we weren't getting anywhere.  
"But I don't have your helmet. I came for the master bolt." Percy explained for the millionth time.  
"Which you already possess!" I was really getting tired of Hades being so stubborn and his shouting really wasn't helping me think. Lightning bolt...Helm of Darkness...connection...link...stolen...  
"But I didn't!"  
"Open your pack, then." I was about to open my mouth and try to persuade Hades to give up the act when Percy opened his pack...there inside it was a long, thin cylinder, both ends were razor sharp and I could hear it vibrating violently. Zeus's master bolt; a million thoughts rushed through my head in a split-second. Percy hadn't stolen the bolt, he couldn't have. I knew Percy, not for long but I knew him well enough to see that he hadn't done it. I looked into his eyes and I just knew, his eyes were pure and innocent. So if it wasn't him, who was it?  
"Percy." I arranged my thoughts, trying to understand. "How-"  
Percy looked as dumbstruck as I felt. "I-I don't know. I don't understand."  
"You heroes are always the same," Hades ranted. "Your pride makes you foolish, thinking you could bring such a weapon before me. I did not ask for Zeus's master bolt, but since its is here, you will yield it to me. I am sure it will make an excellent bargaining tool. And now...my helmet. Where is it?"  
Percy seemed to stunned to speak, as was I. I mean, Percy didn't have the helmet and I didn't have the faintest idea of how the Zeus's master bolt got into Percy's back. I glanced back at Grover, trying to speak with my eyes. What do make of this? Grover shrugged his eyes wild and confused. He was chewing frantically on his lip. I needed to think, Percy didn't steal the bolt that was for sure but someone else did and then maybe snuck it into Percy's backpack. But we hadn't come into close contact with anyone...apart for Ares who had given Percy the backpack. Ares's god of mindless war, who loved seeing blood being spilled... And right now all the Big Three were angry with each other. Poseidon + Hades + Zeus + War=Lots of blood=One happy Ares. I mentally kicked myself for being so dumb.  
"Lord Hades, wait," Percy had a look of recognition in his eyes. He must have realised what was happening too. "This is all a mistake.  
"A mistake?" Hades snarled like a wild animal, Grover flinched. I used my eyes to convey sympathy. Grover's eyes didn't say anything apart from I'm terrified. I didn't blame him, Hades was a psycho, he wanted to kill us and now he had proof of why he should kill us. Di immortals!  
The skeletal poised their weapons directly at Percy, ready to shoot at Hades's command. Furies no. 1, 2 and 3 all swooped down. Fury no.1 flash her whip and beamed enthusiastically at Percy, fear flashed through me.  
"There is no mistake. I know why you have come- I know the real reason you brought the bolt. You came to bargain for her." Hades opened up his palm and a sphere of combustion flickered, then it bust open in front of Percy and there was a woman, she was pretty with long, brown ,curly hair that had a few grey lines in it but they didn't make her look old, her smile was warm and motherly. Her eyes seemed to glimmer and change colour in the bright light of the fire, she looked like a kind person, a good mother. Everything I wish my step-mother would be, but the chance of that ever happening was so unlikely that I swatted the thought away. Percy's features relaxed, he seemed unable to speak, his sea green eyes seemed to be burning, like a stormy green ocean burning, he extended his hand as if to touch her but the light was scolding hot.  
"Yes." said Hades, smug. I wanted to smack that look off his face, I felt really sorry for Percy. "I took her. I knew, Percy Jackson, that you would come to bargain with me eventually. Return my helmet, and perhaps I will let her go. She is not dead, you know. Not yet. But if you displease me, that will change." Hades taunted.  
Percy's eyes seemed to change, they became dazed.  
"Ah, the pearls," Hades said. "Yes, my brother and his little. Bring them forth, Percy Jackson."  
Percy's hand moved forward spontaneously. Hades was controlling him.  
"Only three," I looked down at Percy's outstretched hand and saw that it was true, there were only three pearls. "What a shame. You do realize each only protects a single person. Try to take your mother, then, little godling. And which of your friends will you leave behind to spend eternity with me? Go on. Choose. Or give me the backpack and accept my terms."  
Percy locked eyes with me, then Grover. His eyes were solemn.  
"We were tricked," he told us. "Set up."  
"Yes, but why?" I asked. "And the voice in the pit-"  
"I don't know yet," Percy interrupted. "But I intend to ask."  
"Decide, boy!" Hades roared impatiently. Gods, keep your skeleton pants on.  
"Percy," Grover rested his hand on Percy's shoulder. "You can't give him the bolt."  
"I know that." I was forming a plan, I would stay here and Percy, Grover and Percy's mum would leave safely. It would mean eternity with Hades who was intent on hearing nothing but his own deluded version of this truth and...death but I'd come close to death a gazillion time now and it seemed like such a small aspect right now. I wasn't scared, I just wanted to keep Percy safe, that's what friends did: they tried their hardest to keep each other safe.  
"Leave me here," WHAT!? "Use the third pearl on your mom."  
"No!" Percy's eyes seemed to ripple with anger, like a huge tidal wave sweeping through them.  
"I'm a satyr," Grover said. "We don't have souls like humans do. He can torture me until I die, but he won't get me forever. I'll just be reincarnated as a flower or something. It's the best way." No it was not.  
"No." I pulled out my knife; I was going to get them safely away and then I would fight, with no hope at all but at least I'd be fighting knowing my friends were safe. "You two go on. Grover, you have to protect Percy. You have to get your searcher's license and start your quest for Pan. Get his mum out of here. I'll cover you. I plan to go down fighting."  
"No way," Stupid, stubborn satyr. Didn't he know it was for his own good? "I'm staying behind."  
"Think again, goat boy,"  
"Stop it, both of you!" His eyes now looked like a tsunami in the depth of green waters, his face looked agonised.  
"I know what to do," Percy said. "Take these."  
He gave us each a pearl.  
No...He couldn't sacrifice himself, we'd come all this way. He just couldn't.  
"But, Percy...,"  
He turned to his mom. His eyes were raging green, shimmering with sadness that made him look much older than he was. He looked like he was having some internal argument, then slowly opened his mouth.  
"I'm sorry," he said to his mother. "I'll be back. I'll find a way."  
No, Percy couldn't leave his mom he loved her, he adored her. She was the real reason Percy was even on this quest. He was willing to travel all the way to the Underworld to get her; he just couldn't leave her to save us.  
Hade's face dropped. "Godling...?" He seemed momentarily speechless.  
"I'll find your helmet, Uncle. I'll return it. Remember about Charon's pay raise."  
Hades snapped out of his trance. "Do not defy me-"  
"And it wouldn't hurt to play with Cerberus once in a while. He likes red rubber balls."  
"Percy Jackson, you will not-" Hades started.  
"Now guys!" Together we squished the pearls under out feet. 1 second...2 seconds...3 seconds, I could feel the tension building.  
"Destroy them!" Hades commanded.  
The skeletal warriors moved forward, their swords were ready to strike, I could hear guys clicking, being filled with bullets. The Furies dove for us, the tips of their lashes erupting into flames. Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on... Please, please, please almighty Goddess Athena save me! Come on, come on, come, on... The skeletons were about to charge, ready to fire, charge and slice us to pieces the burst blew open, green light shone out of it and I could smell something salty...like the sea, peculiar indeed. Then a translucent circle surrounded me, slowly it began to rise off the floor. Percy was in front of me and Grover behind. Hades bellowed with pure outrage and hatred so fierce that it took almost all my willpower not to flinch. The whole room shuddered radically.  
"Look up!" Grover warned. "We're going to crash!"  
I looked up, we were going at at least 130 mph straight for the stalactites and the density of a bubble was very, very low and the density of limestone however...  
"How do you control these things?" I yelled.  
"I don't think you do." Percy yelled back.  
We all yelled together as the bubbles crashed against the ceiling and then...I couldn't see anything, it was dark, so dark. Am I dead? Was my first thought, I bit down on my tongue, I could feel that, I pinched my arm. I could feel that too, that must mean I wasn't dead I felt around me, I could still feel the bubble and I noticed that I was still moving. Then I felt a huge jolt go through the bubbled as it surfaced we were in Los Angeles.  
We knocked a surfer off his board. "Dude!" he protested.  
Percy grabbed Grover and dragged him to a lifebuoy. Percy reached for me and did the same. I gasped, a great white shark was swimming around us with its sleek powerful tail and its razor sharp teeth. I was about to whisper to Percy that we should remain calm and get out of the water...fast.  
"Beat it." Seaweed Brain! You're going to get us killed that's never going to-  
The shark swivelled round and sped away. That was impressive and extremely useful. Must be one of his aquatic powers, control over sea creatures or something. The surfer shouted some incoherent stuff about the mushrooms that he ate earlier must have gone bad, then he swum away from us as quickly as possible. It was morning...and a piece of my mind was saying Summer Solstice, great. I could see red flames billowing up from L.A and I was pretty sure that there had been an earthquake, courtesy of Lord Hades. And to top it all off Hades was sending an army after Percy right now and there would be a giant war between the three most powerful Olympians Gods.  
I sighed as I looked into Percy eyes, imagining the sarcastic comment that he who have in his mind. Happy days.

Thanks so much for reading this.  
Like it? Hate it? Review it! (Constructively please.)


	16. Chapter 14 Ares Doesn't Dream

Chapter 14. Ares Doesn't Dream

Disclaimer: This Fan fiction is based on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief book. I do not own any of the characters, books or really anything thing to do with the Lightning Thief. I'm just re-writing it in Annabeth's perspective.

I dried myself, slowly pulling the blue towel across my neck as I leaned back against the solid, dryness of the coast guard boat. The coast guards had picked us up and had not mentioned a single world about what we were doing out here in the middle of the sea. They seemed to be pretty busy with some big accident somewhere else, I didn't really take much notice. I was preoccupied with situation at hand, I couldn't believe it, all that for nothing.

"I don't believe it. We went all that way-" I said as we walked along the surf of the beach were the coast guards had dropped us off.  
"It was a trick," Percy said. "A strategy worthy of Athena." How dare he say something about my mum like that the almighty Goddess of wisdom. If he didn't stop I was going to say something about his dad, stupid Poseidon which wouldn't be particularly clever.  
"Hey," My eyes flicked up to his, I stared Percy down. I put lots of caution and threatening in that one word.  
"You get it, don't you?" Oh. Oh. Him, it was him. All his fault, I knew what he meant a strategy worthy of Athena...but not Athena, she was much more cool, collected and took more precautions.  
"Well I don't!" Grover protested. "Would somebody-"  
Somehow my gaze moved towards Percy, his face was kind of...hurt. I remembered what had happened to his mum, I immediately felt sorry for being so hard on him.  
"Percy..." I murmured softly, he wasn't looking at me. I caught his gaze with my peircing grey eyes. "I'm sorry about your mother." I didn't know how to explain it, I wanted to tell him I knew how I felt. But I didn't. I wanted to say that there was a chance that this would all get better. There wasn't. "I'm so sorry..." was the best that I could come up with.  
He flinched, ever so slightly that the movement could only be subconscious but it was crystal clear to me. He's hurting, badly.  
His eyes started to shine faintly but then blinked and inhaled deeply and the glow he's still trying to be brave.  
My mind shook with pain and anger, pain because it hurt to see Percy hurt. He was always so bright and cheerful, always finding something stupid and irrelevant and hilarious to say, now he was fighting back tears. And the fact that Percy wasn't crying, wouldn't cry, refused to made me furious. He deserved to cry, he'd just given his mother up to the Lord of the Dead who would never release her. I wanted to kick him and hug him at the same time.  
Why did he have to be so insistent on being stubborn all the time, even now when he had every right to cry?

"The prophecy was right," he said, his voice parched and drained of any emotion.  
"'You shall go west and face the god who has turned' but it wasn't Hades. Hades didn't want war between the Big Three. Someone else pulled off the theft. Someone stole Zeus's master bolt, and Hades's helmet, and framed me because I'm Poseidon's kid. Poseidon will get blamed by both sides. By sundown today, there will be a three-way war. And I'll have caused it."  
"But who would be that sneaky? Who would want war that bad?" Grover asked, confused.  
I sighed, rubbing my head, Grover was quite clueless at time. Not in the way Percy was, he didn't lack too much intellect. His satyr senses knew how people were feeling but he didn't know how to define that feeling very well. He didn't know what to say to make people feel better like Percy could. It was as ironic as someone putting up a sign that read ARE YOU BLIND?  
I rubbed my head some more, I felt so overloaded. My thoughts were all scrambled in one giant heap of anxiety and concern. Yet out of all of that, there was a hint of something else, red and raw. Something as wild and as unruly as an angered lion, something waiting to pounce inside me. I wanted to yell insults at Hades for making my friend suffer. I wanted to slice his fat head off and burn the remains and as for Ares ,oh, as for him...  
Percy halted and looked up, staring down across the yellow length of the beach. "Gee, let me think."  
It was him, the cold-blooded fool who had gotten us into this mess. He seemed to be expecting us, he was standing there wearing his black leather cloth and sunglasses and a metal baseball bat. Next to him his motorbike growled. Him, Ares.  
"Hey, kid." Ares said in a skin-crawling upbeat tone. "You were supposed to die."  
"You tricked me. You stole the helmet and the master bolt."  
Ares's face lit up into a 500 watt smile. He was enjoying this, I wanted to chop him up into little pieces and throw him to Tartaurus with Kronos. I dug my nails into the palm of my hands and bit down on my tongue.  
"Well, now, I didn't steal it personally. Gods taking each other's symbols of power-that's a big no-no. But you're not the only hero in the world who can run errands."  
Clarris?! Gods am I going to kill you!  
"Who did you use? Clarisse?" Percy said at the exact same moment that the thought came to mind. "She was there at the winter solstice."  
Ares seemed to be entertained by that suggestion, he grinning at us mockingly, secretively. I wanted to wipe that look of his face with a full-force, kick-ass, Daughter of the War God who's ten times better than Ares slap.  
"Doesn't matter. The point is, kid, you're impending the war effort. See you've got to die in the Underworld. Then Old Seaweed will be mad at Hades for killing you. Corpse Breath will have Zeus's master bolt so Zeus'll be mad at him. And Hades is still looking for this..."  
He pulled out a ski cap from his pocket which reminded me of a robbers face cover and put in the middle of the handles bars of his motorbike. Then almost so fast that I didn't see it, it changed into a sparkling gold war helmet. Di immortales!  
My fury-ridden mind whirled.  
"The helmet of darkness," Grover breathed.  
"Exactly," Ares said matter-of-factly like he went around carrying one of the Big Three's signs of power around every day. I bit down harder on my tongue, biting back curses so bad that if my mother ever heard me utter a word of them she would probably zap me on the spot.  
"Now where was I? Oh yeah, Hades will be mad at both Zeus and Poseidon, because he doesn't know who took this. Pretty soon, we got a nice little three-way slugfest going." He was a parasite, he was evil, cruel. Athena hated Poseidon, they'd been arguing for thousands of years but she'd never do this. Ever. No person in their right mind would, but did Ares's twisted, twisted brain ever be described as "right"? And here was Ares setting up a three-way war just for his own personal amusement.  
"But they're your family!" I cried, my tongue whizzed up from underneath my teeth, I managed to snap my teeth back on top of it just before I said something that could well of gotten us killed.  
Ares shrugged simply as if it was no big deal. "Best kind of war. Always the bloodiest. Nothing like watching your relatives fight, I always say."  
"You gave me the backpack in Denver," Percy stated. "The master bolt was in there the whole time."  
"Yes and no," I rest my case. "It's probably too confusing for your little mortal brain to follow, but the backpack is the master bolt's sheath, just morphed a bit. The bolt is connected to it, sort of like that sword you got, kid. It will always return to your pocket, right?" It was so easy to understand it was almost laughable, stupid Ares. Wait...how did an idiot, even an immortal one, know that Percy's sword always returned to his pocket?  
"Anyway, I tinkered with the magic a bit, so the bolt would only return to the sheath once you reached the Underworld. You get close to Hades...Bingo, you got mail. If you died along the way- no loss I still had the weapon." Evil, conniving, vermin...  
Wait a second...Ares could have just kept the weapon.  
"But why not just keep the master bolt for yourself?" I snarled underneath my breath, glaring at the pale sand beneath my bear feet. "Why send it to Hades?"  
Ares's jaw moved jerkily, he seemed to be concentrating,listening for something...internal. It seemed as if he was listening to something inside him, this was not good.  
"Why didn't I...yeah...with that kind of fire-power..."  
His eyes seemed glassy, as he spoke to whatever he was listening to. Percy and I flashed nervous glances back and forth to each iother.  
He broke through the trance. "I didn't want the trouble. Better to have you caught redhanded, holding the thing." I slowly searched Ares's face, it looked deceitful and false.  
"You're lying," Percy said. "Send the bolt to the Underworld wasn't your idea, was it?" I shuddered as the words registered one by one in my brain. I knew exactly who sent the bolt and he was a lot more threatening than the dumb likes of Clarisse.  
"Of course it was!" Smoke floated up from Ares's glasses, I prayed that he wouldn't get too angry.  
"You didn't order the theft," Percy was unstoppable now, the words slid through his mouth, one by one each precise and made certain by Percy's vehement tone . "Someone else sent a hero to steal two items. Then, when Zeus sent you to hunt him down, you caught the thief. But you didn't turn him over to Zeus. Something convinced you to let him go. You kept the items until another hero could come along and complete the delivery. That thing in the pit is ordering you around." My jaw fell open, oh gods, why hadn't I thought of that? How did Percy think of that? I looked into his eyes and saw why, he was too frustrated, too not himself to be a seaweed brain. What had happened to his mother had really brought out the other side of him, the side that I had always wished for. The one that wouldn't be so stupid all the time but now, seeing his eyes so grave and his face so dead I wanted anything but. I wanted him to be the same again.  
"I am the god of war! I take orders from no one! I don't have dreams!" Ares burst out, sounding a bit whiny.  
Percy paused briefly, his expression reserved and controlled. "Who said anything about dreams?"  
I frowned, I wanted to hear his mocking voice again, just a hint of it. Seeing him so low was...unbearable. My head throbbed with the heavy weight of Percy's seriousness that I knew was only the top layer of lots of other negative feelings.  
Ares smirked but it was as fake as Percy's dead calmness, it too covered something deep and terrible. But it wasn't pain it was something horribly gnarled, distorted and sickeningly powerful. Kronos.  
"Let's get back to the problem at hand, kid. You're alive. I can't have you taking that bolt to Olympus. You just might get those hardheaded idiots to listen to you. So I've got to kill you. Nothing personal."  
Ares clicked his fingers together and the sand erupted. Then rising up from it was a boar so unsightly that it made the boar hanging on the door of cabin seven look downright harmless. It padded around impatiently lowering its meaty head and waiting for Ares to allow him to charge at Percy.  
Percy stepped into the waves and something changed. Something clicked, it was like the calm facade that he had on top of all his feelings had been smashed open and now they were all pouring out, but one overpowered all the others: determination.  
"Fight me yourself Ares." His voice was layered with a sternness that was now not pretense, it was real and cold and right there in front of me. He wanted to fight, and he wasn't scared. Not even one bit.  
Ares chuckled but I was sure I heard something else there, something undecided...  
"You've only got one talent, kid, running away. You ran from the Chimera. You ran from the Underworld. You don't have what it takes." Grover's brown eyes flashed. We exchanged looks of anger, Percy was more than capable of kicking that Chimera's ass to Hades.  
"Scared?" Percy taunted, now his voice was coloured with something... There was a flash in his eyes that's I might've disregarded as anger if we hadn't been through much together but it was a classic seaweed brain look that I knew well. That I loved: sarcasm, mocking, humour. I couldn't help but smile, just a bit, even in the serious nature of the situation. I knew that this was probably a big mistake but all I could think was Percy's Seaweed brain again!  
"In your adolescent dreams." Ares's ice cold voice brought me back from my inward rejoicing, his sunglasses burned with bright red flames. The plastic on one side of his sunglasses began to melt yet I didn't get the feeling that it was because of anger...strange.  
"No direct involvement. Sorry, kid. You're not at my level."  
I had a feeling of sharp dread and I knew immediately what was about to happen this second.. "Percy, run!" I warned him. Please listen, please, please, please, please, please, please... I chanted in my head.  
With a feral growl the boar charged straight for Percy. Come on, run!  
But instead of taking my advice Percy's face became even more determined if that was even possible, his eyes were filled with the fiery passion of resolve. Another look that I loved, but knew was the look that most got Percy into trouble.  
The boar was close to him now, he drew Anaklumous and with a movement so quick that it blurred in my vision he sliced it upward, its tusk fell down onto the ground with a heavy thud. Then it ran down into the sea, further and further in going deeper and deeper, not seeming to care that it could well drown.  
Percy's voice was a blown horn in a silent library, carrying across the beach with strength and authority that made my head spin as it whizzed past me. "Wave!"  
A tidal wave appeared out of thin air, the boar cried out once then it gurgled as the water filled up its lungs and its eyes went blank then disappeared into the now peaceful waters.  
"Are you going to fight me now," Percy looked at Ares, straight past his watering sunglass and into his inferno eyes. "Or are you going to hide behind another pet pig?"  
Ares's face turned the colour of Ribeena. "Watch it, kid. I could turn you into-"  
"A cockroach," Percy voice was now filled to the brim with his usual cheerful mocking, no, more even. "Or a tapeworm. Yeah, I'm sure. That'd save you from getting your godly hide whipped, wouldn't it?" Ares glasses were nearly just some water sitting on top of metal wire frames that were sizzling down into nothing as the flames pounded against them.  
"Oh, man, you really are asking to be smashed into a grease spot."  
"If I lose, turn me into anything you want. Take the bolt. If I win, the helmet and the bolt are mine and you have to go away." Ares scoffed.  
He pulled the baseball bat from his shoulder. "How would you like to get smash: classic or modern?"  
Percy showed him his sword, not looking bothered.  
"That's cool, dead boy. Classic it is." His baseball bat morphed into a giant two-handed sword. No.  
"Percy," I warned as the meaning of Ares's word finally hit home. "Don't do this. He's a god."  
"He's a coward." Percy said almost casually.  
I looked into him eyes, seeing the determination in them again and I knew there was nothing I could say to stop him.  
"Wear this, at least for luck." I reached around my neck and took the only treasure, the only material thing that felt I really needed or I would be completely lost. That I had never let anyone touch before, not even Luke.  
My camp necklace and my dad's college ring which now felt so precious to me as the reassuring cold, round shape slipped off my neck and into my hand. Now my neck felt painfully bare, and light, like I had been carrying a body building weight around it all the time.  
"Reconciliation," I said, somehow sealing my earlier words in the truck. "Athena and Poseidon together."  
Percy face turned slightly red as he blinked as if to clear his vision. "Thanks."  
"And take this," Goat boy gave Percy a tin can that had been squished flat, knowing Grover he had probably been saving it. It was a nice gesture, I thought.  
"The satyrs stand behind you."  
"Grover...I don't know what to say." That you'll stay here, inside the safe realm of sanity! I wanted to cry but I knew that it would do nothing more than make me look like an idiot and Percy ever more determined.  
Grover gently patted Percy's shoulder, Percy put the can in his pocket.  
"I've been fighting for eternity, kid." Ares said as we turned back to him. My strength is unlimited and I cannot die. What have you got?"  
Percy said nothing but his eyes glimmered with that look that told me he was thinking of some sarcastic comment which was reassuring because Percy couldn't be seriously scared and sarcastic at the same time...could he?

What happened next was terrifying, everything seemed to go into slow motion but somehow so fast that my eyes couldn't register what was happening properly. Percy and Ares stood in the water then Ares brought his sword down over Percy's head. Percy dodged, lunged, stabbed and parried with his sword. He was pretty good with Riptide but Ares was better; he seemed to know every single move that Percy was going to make. They fought on the sand and then in the sea, suddenly Percy stepped forward and Ares punched his hand against Percy's chest so hard that he went flying. Grover flinched as did I. Then I saw them, cops everywhere behind Percy.  
"Percy! Cops!" I told him.  
Percy looked dazed, his eyes were glazed over and slightly unfocussed. With what seemed like a lot of effort he stood up. They said some stuff about Percy being the guy from TV and calling for backup. More fighting. Police sirens roared, a cop told Percy and Ares to drop the guns. Oh, the Mist. The weapon in Ares's hand was quickly morphing to a shotgun, a sword then back again. Ares shouted some stuff about clearing off he waved his hand and the patrol cars burst into flames the mortals went wild, running and shouting.  
Ares laughed. "Now, little hero. Let's add you to the barbecue."  
Even more fighting, then Percy seemed unable to go on. He looked fatigued and worn out he held his sword down. No Percy, don't let him win he'll kill you.  
The waves of the sea seemed to get calmer, weird. I thought. Ares held up his sword, ready to attack. Then suddenly the waves exploded and Percy went flying over Ares. A hard wall of water whacked into Ares he said some bad words and coughed his mouth was filled to the brim with seaweed. Percy landed behind him and Ares whipped around with his sword held high. Percy spun around and jumped sideways, then with his sword sliced down into the water.  
Ares bellowed so loudly that I my ears went momentarily deaf; then the sea drew away from Ares leaving him standing on a patch of dry sand. What was that all about? Then I saw his foot and...he was bleeding, Ichor. But...how? His face looked outright loathsome and vile. A million different emotions played on his face; he shuffled towards Percy. Then he stopped. I felt a shudder run through me, I could sense something...coldness, hardness, a sullen edge. It felt as if I had been frozen in the moment except that all color faded away to a dull grey and an icy wind whipped through me. It walk like all life was worthless, it was the same story every time. We were demi-gods, we were never going to be able to fit in like regular mortals and we would probably die sometime in the future. So what was the point of life? Life was meaningless. What? Then everything went back to normal, I shook myself. Ares looked gob-smack, he'd apparently felt it too. Behind Percy and Ares police cars were alight, there was not a mortal in sight and...thanks the gods!  
How could I have been so stupid, realization hit me light a huge bowling ball...Percy actually did it. He did it. HE DID IT! And he wasn't dead. I felt an emotion that was a cross between rejoicing and disclosure. The water flooded back over Ares and Ares brought down his sword.  
"You have made an enemy, godling." Ares said each word with untamed hatred. "You have sealed your fate. Every time you raise you blade in battle, every time you hope for success, you will feel my curse. Beware, Perseus Jackson. Beware."  
No, not good. Really not good, getting a curse from a god was never good.  
Ares's whole body shimmered with anger. I knew that we couldn't look at Ares's godly, divine body or we would drop dead then break down into particles of nothing.  
"Percy!" I warned him. "Don't watch!" I turned around as did Grover; I could only hope that Percy did the same. We waited until the light dimmed. Ares was nowhere to be seen and there were Ares had been was Hades's Helm of Darkness, Percy had stooped down and picked it up then headed towards us. There was a loud flapping noise and Furies 1, 2 and 3 landed before him. Fury 1 strode up to Percy, she expose her long, sharp fangs but she didn't look terrorizing or intimidating, she looked dissatisfied and frustrated like she had been longing to devour Percy but now she couldn't.  
"We saw the whole thing," she muttered. "So...it truly was not you?"  
Percy threw her the helmet, she caught it with surprise.  
"Return that to Lord Hades," Percy said simply. "Tell him the truth. Tell him to call off the war."  
She paused then licked her lips with her hissing snake-like tongue.  
"Live well, Percy Jackson. Become a true hero. Because if you do not, if you ever come into my clutches again..." She laughed wickedly seeming lost in the thought of tasting Percy. Then the Furies priced up their wings and flew off into the overcast sky.  
Percy walked over to Grover and I.  
"Percy..." Grover seemed at loss for world. "That was so incredibly..."  
"Terrifying," I complained.  
"Cool!" I rolled my eyes at Grover.  
Percy didn't seem to really care, he just looked tired and injured.  
"Did you guys feel that...whatever it was?" He murmured.  
We nodded solemnly.  
"Must've been the Furies overhead," Goat Boy said.  
I didn't say a word but Percy locked eyes with me and an understanding seemed to pass between us. Both he and I knew that it wasn't the Furies. I was now even more sure than before that it was him.  
"We have to get back to New York," Percy told us. "By tonight."  
"That's impossible," Annabeth said. "unless we-"  
"Fly,"  
I stared him, questioning his good reason. "Fly, like, in an aeroplane, which you were warned never to do lest Zeus strike you out of the sky, and carrying a weapon that has more destructive power than a nuclear bomb?"  
"Yeah," Percy said, seeming too tired to argue. "Pretty much exactly like that. Come on."

plz r&r


	17. Chapter 15 Taking a Chance

Chapter 15. Taking a Chance

Disclaimer: This Fan fiction is based on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief book. I do not own any of the characters, books or really anything thing to do with the Lightning Thief. I'm just re-writing it in Annabeth's perspective.

Quick EDIT note: Dionysus is drunk, however in the original Lightning Thief by, and owned by, Rick Riordan he is not allowed to drink wine in camp. Small mistake, sorry! :) *apologetic smile*  
-

The mortals were entirely receptive of our story. Well, actually, it was more theirs.  
"What happened?" the police lady asked. She was middle aged and looked in her mid forties; she was strict-looking but always had a caring twinkle in her eyes.  
Percy open his mouth to speak but she shook her head, cutting him off with her own voice. "Yes, we know of the man who kidnapped you. Just try not to talk about it too much."  
The man who sat beside her who look a little younger than her and had the same, no-nonsense but nice expression nodded solemnly. "Yes, if we say something that upsets you or a question that we ask is too hard to answer feel free to stop us."  
This was quite ironic because we couldn't get a word in edgeways through their whole monologue on how Ares had abducted us and basically was responsible for every bad thing that had hit the newspapers this past week that Percy had been accused for.  
With the helpful donations of the police and reporters we gathered enough money to book 3 plane tickets to NY.  
I was glad to sink back into the soft, cushiony seats and just rest for a while without being on the constant lookout for monsters. Of course having Zeus looking down at the person next to you through the sky and probably thinking "Hmm...do I feel like zapping the plane with a lightning bolt?" was kind of unnerving so I didn't get much sleep.  
I felt sorry for Percy who had his eyes open throughout the whole journey and didn't so much as move an inch from his seat through the whole ride until we touched down at La Gaurdia.  
So while I was awake and not able to sleep because of Percy's obvious unease as every muscle in his body tense and his fists clench round the armrest like a clay mould. Of course it was partly because of Grover's murmuring stuff about cheese enchiladas and tin cans in his sleep but mostly because...  
Well, I was thinking about my family. Really thinking, not like before when I tried to find ways to block it out of my mind or swerve out of it somehow. Now I was facing the fought head-on, because Percy had given me the courage. The way he stood up to Ares was brainless and dim-witted and breathtaking. He refused to run, refused to hide, refused to break down and cry. He went straight into the problem without any time to doubt or speculate. He just did what he thought was right.  
I'd read somewhere that eyes were the window to the soul and that's why Percy's eyes were so brilliantly beautiful. Because his soul was so pure and clean, because he listened to his heart. He didn't take answers from common logic; his knowledge was purely based on instinct.  
When was the last time I had acted solely on instinct?  
ADHD didn't really count, that was more genetics and battle defence. That's my problem I suddenly realised, as a daughter of Athena I'd always thought wisdom was the only way to gain power but now I knew that wasn't true. It was having the smarts to be authentic and true to you yourself. To have the knowledge and wisdom to know that your heart and instinct just might sometimes have better chances than textbook knowledge.  
I should use my Goddess-given knowledge, I thought, And trust myself to make the right choices.  
I stared out of the window, watching the pale blue sky whip past the left wing of the plane for a second and touched my necklace that Percy had given back to me at the police station. I remembered how it felt to have it back, my heart leapt and not with fear or anger or anything bad. Only happiness and I knew what choice was right for me. Only then did I become relaxed enough to fall asleep and the heaviness in my heart that I hadn't even known I'd been carrying until that moment, lifted and flittered away. And I knew then that I was ready to take anything.  
To take a chance.

A whole fleet of reporters, paparazzi and the press were standing outside security, waiting for us. I led them off the scent by turning invisible and leading them other to the ice cream stand.  
After I got back to Percy and Grover at the bus shed who were talking about something, they seemed to be arguing about something. And by the looks of Grover's dismayed eyes he was losing.  
"Guys, what are you talking about?" I asked, sitting down on the red bench beside them. The sky outside was slate grey and rain was pounding heavily from the sky, falling onto the concrete sidewalk in raindrops that had a surprisingly dark feel that didn't just feel like the weather. It was like some supernatural force was controlling it…  
"Percy wants to go to Mount. Olympus," Grover said. I raised an eyebrow that was the plan wasn't it. "Alone." The word echoed, sounding horribly volatile and isolated as it carried out from the entrance of the bus shed and into overcast evening air.  
I stared at Percy straight in the eye, saying each word with force, linking each syllable with a rock-solid glare and sealing it over with a coat of dominance. "No…you're…not."  
Percy flinched away from my icy glare, looking away with unseeing eyes in the other direction. Every drop of rain pulsed against the roof of the shed, rattling the tiles above it.  
I continued to stare at Percy in a silence that was just as commanding as my earlier words. Percy shivered, sensing my glare from behind him, no one else was in the bus shed. Only us and a couple of elderly men who were sitting at the far end of the shed, one staring intently at a newspaper, the other had his eyes closed as he rested his head against the metallic bench frame.  
The tension on the room was tight and ridged. I refused to say anything more; there was nothing more to be said about it. Percy was not going to Olympus by himself. It was nonnegotiable. The matter was an entity, nothing. It did not exist.  
Grover voice through the silence, quiet yet it had the quality of someone in danger shouting far, far away. Faded but the terror and pain were still there. "You can't go alone Percy. You know that, you beat Ares but as brave and as cool as you are you can't defend yourself against the King of the Gods."  
Percy turned around his eyes two pools of courage; I could tell that he was a little frightened. He knew well what could happen but he still wanted to do it.  
"I have to go and you guys have to get to Camp and talk to Chiron. Tell him what's happened, I just need some time..."  
"More time for what? To get yourself zapped to death!" I half-screamed, not caring about the men on the other side of the room hearing me.  
Percy looked up at me with sad eyes. "If it's my fate..."  
Grover whimpered, I looked Grover then Percy. They were both looking at each other with some silent understanding.  
Percy wouldn't meet my eye, Grover chewed on his sleeve mournfully.  
"Tell me what happened." As I spoke the already stormy sky outside seemed to grow dimmer and even duller. Lightning crackled in the distance.  
"Before Percy knew everything about his heritage," Grover's voice was hoarse. "Just after Yancy Academy finished for the summer we saw the Three Fates."  
I stiffened; I didn't like the sound of this. Grover swallowed, Percy's black hair fell across his face blocking my view to him. I didn't know if this was on purpose or not but he wasn't looking at me again. I hated it when he did that, it made me scared.  
"Go on." I said my own throat dry.  
Grover breathed in through his nose then out through his mouth as if to calm himself. "They cut the thread, with Percy right there."  
"You're not going anywhere alone!" I shouted, almost before Grover had finished his sentence. "We're coming with you or you're not going at all."  
Percy's voice was small but his eyes were not swayed. "I have to." he said again, throwing Grover a look of someone accusing another of a deep betrayal.  
Grover just shook his head, his face steady and in clear agreement with me.  
"Look, you're not meant to die, the Fates cut the string. Right? That means death, but there's still a chance that I'll survive. You guys aren't meant for this, I am. Plus there's the prophecy, if I survive this there's a chance that I might die after anyway. But you have to stay safe, if you go with me and something happens..."  
I shot Percy a withering look. "If something happens we can help you."  
"No," Percy said.  
I punched him then, in all my frustration. What was he saying; I wasn't capable of defending him? It was my duty to defend him; I promised Chiron I would protect him.  
Percy ignored my lashing out and stared right at me with those true green eyes.  
"Do you really think that Zeus will kill me and not kill you? Don't you think that if no one tells Chiron what's happened at Camp there'll never be any back up if something goes wrong?"  
I looked into Percy eyes, so deep and honest. I knew what he was saying was the truth but I didn't want to hear it, didn't want to leave him. He smiled at me, his pink lips so perfect, his face apprehensive but reassuring.  
"Hey, I won't do anything stupid. I won't be a Seaweed Brain, I promise."  
I laughed half-heartedly as he stretched his arms around me and pulled me into a warm, friendly hug. It wasn't like hugging Luke; his hugging wasn't very intimate or close. It was more like two friends saying goodbye and that was okay, that was just what it was.  
Percy's hug was like a good, long breath of sea air. The exotic smell of an ocean breeze seem to whip around me, it was comforting and made me feel warm but nothing in the blushing way Luke's hug had. Percy's hug made me safe, like I was in a familiar place that I knew well rather than just momentarily sharing a hug.  
When I pulled away I looked at him. "You'll always be a Seaweed Brain to me."  
Percy smiled back at me, though it seemed forced. "Yeah, I know Annabeth. And you'll always be a Wise Girl to me."  
Then he stood up, said his goodbyes to Grover and then walked away. Out of the bus shed and into the gloomy evening, I watched as the rain pounded against his hair and wind twisted it, rippling it as it pulled it this way and that.  
He hailed a taxi further down the road, took one look back at us, held up his hand in a goodbye motion then he disappeared in the car. The yellow car grew more and more distant as it drove further down the road until it was but a yellow dot on the highway and then nothing at all. Only silence and the terrible absence of my noble friend remained.  
I blinked, there was something irritating my eyes. Grover moved up in the empty space next to me and I rested my head against his shoulder, my eyes watering from the irritation.  
Percy, I thought as salt water trickled down my cheeks. Why did you have to go?  
At that moment Grover looked at me, his brown eyes filled with tears, and said. "I don't know, I wish he stayed too."  
I opened my mouth to ask how he knew exactly what I had been thinking.  
"Satyrs can read emotions," he reminded me. "When they're not too distracted with their own ones."  
Oh, I realised. that was why he sometimes said things rather blatantly. Because his own feelings overpowered others. That kind of made sense.  
Sometimes I got wrapped up in my own emotions and didn't see what was in front of me. Like the whole situation with my dad, I was too blind and too stubborn to realise what the right thing was to do.  
Grover shook his head. "You're not blind or stubborn Annabeth, you're just a fighter."  
I smiled, that was my old nickname, fighter. He, Luke and Thalia used to call me that, a little fighter.  
"Everyone sees the world differently." Grover said.  
I nodded, lifting my head off his shoulder. "Percy saw the world really differently, he was a real fighter."  
Grover shook his head firmly. "He is."  
I shivered, realising that I'd used past tense to describe Percy.  
He stood up, grabbed his back pack and said. "Come on; let's go tell Chiron we're coming."  
He offered me his hand, I wiped the allergy-caused tears off my cheek then took his hand and together we walked outside through the rain. As we headed in the opposite direction I stopped for a second and looked back down the road, hoping to see a glimmer of Percy or the headlight of his taxi but as I knew he wasn't there.  
Grover looked down the road, sadly and I could tell that his thoughts were in tune with my own. "He'll be okay, he has to be..." Grover murmured.  
My teeth chattered together, not only because I was afraid for Percy but because of the wind. The lightning was getting closer and closer to us now; it seemed to vibrate with energy. The wind was cold as in mingled with the rain which was pounding down harder and harder.  
Grover turned back to me, seeing me shivering and said, "Let's get to somewhere warm were we can send an I.M. to Camp."  
I looked around, there didn't seem to be anywhere that was open. There was a pub, a grocery store, a tourist shop and a long line of takeaways all lined up beside each other, all of which were closed.  
"There!" Grover said, pointing to a small cafe that was built into the back of a petrol station which I hadn't noticed as it was surrounded by building at almost every angle. "The lights on and you see that sign?" I looked at the sign, I couldn't read it. The letters were all jumbled up and annoyingly flying off the paper that was already twitching in the heavy gust as if it wanted to escape from the shop window.  
" 'One free small meal after 7pm for kids 12 and under.'," Grover quoted. "What time is it?"  
I looked at my watch. "7.15."  
"Okay, let's go." Grover started off.  
"Wait," I said. Grover turned back, eyebrows raised. "You're not 12, you're a 24 year old."  
Grover frowned. "A 24 year oldsatyr which makes me biologically and mentally 12 in full human years."  
"True, but I'm taller than you."  
Grover blushed, height had always been a sensitive subject for him seeing as he was short even compared to all the other satyrs his age. "By a few inches."  
I smiled. "Come of Goat Boy, let's go and make an I.M."

Half an hour later we were both sat inside a warm, sheltered taxi. After getting something to eat at the cafe we'd headed off round the back to make and I.M. with the petrol station. This time they didn't have a spray gun so we had to improvise with a bucket of soap water put outside as the moonlight cast a milky shadow against it. It wasn't much of a rainbow, more of a moonbeam reflection but Iris was apparently feeling considerate and directed our call straight to Camp. Chiron had answered from the Big House and had told us that he was happy that we were back but when we told him what Percy had down his face grew old and sad, that made worry. If Chiron was worried, then the situation was worth being frightened of. Grover and I must've been sharing the same thought and having a funny look on our face because Chiron smiled brightly. All traces of concern gone.  
"He'll be fine," he said. "If he can survive Hades then he can deal with much else."  
But even before we told him, I noticed that his face seemed weary. I didn't know, maybe he was worrying about Percy before, I mean, he had every reason to be but somehow it felt different. Something closer to home, closer to Camp and something that was not just one person but many...  
Chiron said that he had to go and wished us a safe journey back to Camp. I soon forgot about the weird feeling that I had about Chiron however my mind drifted onto even more worrying thoughts...  
I leaned my head against the car seat and stared out at the long, grey road that laid itself in front of me. It was like we were gliding over a never-ending roll of duct tape, the wheels of the car sticking to the road regularly and travelling at uneven speeds, sometimes racing for a few seconds, over times not moving at all but never coming to a final destination.  
I tapped my Yankees cap against my leg in impatience, unable to control my restlessness and constant feeling of unease. Ever second spent in the car, every second that we got closer to Camp meant that Percy got closer to Olympus. Closer to danger and, possibly, death.  
Grover stared out of the window and into the stony night, the moon was at it's fullest, the milky crescent glowing in the onyx sky like a giant candle held up to darkness. It was the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year so, scientifically, it should've been bright but Zeus was angry, his mood had darkened the sky. I looked up at stars scattered around the sky, weaving intricate patterns around it, nipping and tucking, curling inwards and outwards until they formed multiple patterns. One of the few things that I remembered with my dad, one of the few moments that I enjoyed in my time was him was when he took me to the beach to learn the constellations. He told me that many years ago there were brave heroes, heroes that went on special adventures to help the people who lived the sky and I'd asked, "Who daddy?"  
Then he'd looked at me and stroked my hair and said, "Were your mother is, she was a beautiful lady. She lives in a special kind of place in the clouds."  
I blinked, trying to match the words up to bits of information that I'd heard about religion. "Did she die daddy?"  
I remembered a story that they'd read me last week in Kindergarten, about God and good people going to heaven with the angels when they died where they'd be a peace forever. Was my mother an angel?  
My father looked up into the night sky, his eyes slightly unfocused as if they were seeing something than the dark of the night. As he spoke to me his voice seemed faded and distant, yet there was something else in his voice...awe, admiration, love.  
"You mother," he said, his lips curling up into a smile. "Isn't dead, she's far from it. She will always live on in the sky, forever."  
"She's immortal?" I asked, it was a word that I'd learnt from the teacher at school. She said that Jesus was immortal, only God was immortal. Did that make my mother a God? No, that couldn't be right, there was only one...wasn't there?  
My father looked down at me, still smiling. "Yes, she's an immortal."  
"So there's more than one?"  
"There are many Gods. Some live here on earth and look after little things, like there's Janus, God of choices and doorways."  
"That's an odd thing to be God of," I said, why did anyone need to look after doorways? Couldn't you just hire a security guard for that or something?  
"Oooh!" I blurted out. "Is Henry a God and what about a god of doors?" I was thinking of the doorman and if there was a god of doorway why not have a god of doors? It only made sense to have someone guard the actual entrance to the doorway before guarding the doorway.  
My dad laughed, "He is good of doors too. Henry's mortal too, like me."  
"And me?" I asked.  
My dad looked away from me, his forehead creased in worry. "Yes, you are. You're mortal, like me. Completely mortal."  
His voice sound tight and there was something false about it but I decided not to question him, there were other things on my mind.  
"So where do all the other Gods live then, the ones that don't live on the earth?" I wondered. "Do they have wings?!"  
Dad looked back at me, seeming relieved with the subject change. "The most important Gods, the main ones, live on Olympus. There are 12 of them, something they come to earth to help mortals like us and heroes. A couple of them live in other places but once a year they hold a council and they all gather together," my dad laughed again. "No they don't have wings, though they do have powers that come with the thing that they're in charge of."  
"Cool, what's my mum in charge of?"  
"Athena-your mother-she's the Goddess of wisdom and battle smarts."  
"So she knows how to fight?!" I was excited now, there weren't many female fighters.  
"Yes, she fights very well. Her most dangerous weapon isn't her sword, it's her wisdom."  
And then we'd sat and talked about Athena and all the other Olympians at the end of it all he pointed to a group of stars in the sky. "You see that, that's Perseus."  
"Per-se-us?" I'd asked, the name had a strange texture as it rolled off my tongue.  
"Yes, the constellation of Perseus, he was a hero your mother helped and if you look at the stars at just the right angle you can see a picture of him. Look, Annabeth, can you see it?"  
I squinted my eyes, my head tilted to one side then I frowned. "I can't see anything."  
My Dad pulled me onto his lap and moved my head up so it was facing the sky at about a 45 degree angle. "Can you see it now? Imagine it Annabeth, look beyond the stars."  
I gasped because what I saw just then was beautiful there was a boy, tall and muscular wearing a Greek chiton. One arm was raised above his head in and in his hand was a long, polished sword. His stance seemed to be aggressive yet controlled like he hand put much thought into the move but he was holding back his feelings to clear his mind. In his other hand was something so gnarled and wrinkled that it almost reined the image, I looked away before it could take away any the breathtaking essence from the constellation.  
"Perseus," I'd said in wonder. He's amazing.

As I stared out of the car window I caught a glimpse of the same constellation, it took my breath away but this time with pain. Perseus...Percy. Zeus's son, Perseus had accomplished a lot of things, cutting Medusa's head off and everything but I thought that Percy was braver.  
And it was because he wasn't just perfect or entirely fearless or the son of the most powerful God. All that didn't matter to me, in fact those were all the reason why I liked him. He was Percy, not for everything he was, but everything he was not.  
No, he wasn't serious. No, he wasn't prepared for this. No, he wasn't someone I was destined to get on with. But all of that just made me like him even more, it meant that he was real. Not someone that was omniscient and thought they were above all others. Just the stupid, immature, irrational, annoying, good friend that he was.  
And no matter how much I respected my mother or looked up to her, I had to admit: Percy didn't need a God's help to survive. He was untouchable.  
So why was I still wishing that I had gone with him, that there was something I could've done to help?

An hour and a half later the taxi pulled up at the edge of Long Island, we paid him with the remaining cash that Ares had given us then started up the hill.  
"What d'you think Luke said are the car wash?" Grover asked me as we walked through the familiar fields of Camp, of home.  
I shook my head. "I don't know...maybe something about Camp?"  
"Yeah," Grover said, frowning slightly. He bit down on his lip but it still trembled beneath his teeth.  
"What is it?" I asked.  
He trembled once more then looked at me and said, "Nothing." In a small, unconvincing voice.  
I stopped walking; we were at the borders of Camp now.  
"Let's just go-" Grover said, but I cut him off. I needed to know, I can't not know anything that can't be achieved through something as simple as asking a question. It's just not humanly possible.  
"Well you know when you got to speech to your mum at Olympus and she was giving advice to you and one of the things that she said was 'Knowledge isn't always good for yo-OOO' "  
That last bit was because I used my 5 years of hand-to-combat training and goddess-given battle smarts to step forward, putting all my body weight in the swing and karate chop Grover on the shoulder. "To Hades with it, tell me." Thunder boomed in the distance.  
No offense, mother. I added hastily.  
"Well my satyr emotion senses are picking something up really big, like-"  
I don't know what he would've said yet but the chances were that whatever he was about to say couldn't have described what happened next, it was all too fast-paced and wild.  
There was the sound of a voice that I'd never heard so angry before, and that said a lot because Clarisse hated me more than anyone else, or considerably Percy.  
"Attack!" she shrieked, her voice was merciless and filled with a sense of longing, as if she was itching to fight, and couldn't hold the urge back any longer.  
I pulled Grover along with me as I ran through the border, to miss a blood-stain knife that whizzed through the horrible atmosphere, just inches away from my neck.  
The Ares cabin were running all in one direction at once, all screaming insults and sword fighting with...my cabin. I knew that Athena and Ares didn't get along but it had never been this bad, people were crying out in pain as they fell to the group, getting trampled by the opposing side. At first I thought I saw more of the Ares cabin getting injured than my cabin but realised that this was just wistful thinking. It might have been true at first but more and more people seemed to come as more and more arrows flew the air. The aims were perfect, a standard that even the Ares cabin, even the Athena cabin could reach. Apollo. Demeter and Dionysus followed, using their gardening powers to trip Athena up. Even Aphrodite stood on the borders and a yelled insult about Athena's clothing style. The Hermes cabin wasn't there. I was glad, knowing that Luke would never, ever take part in something this stupid, especially if he knew it would hurt me. He was a lot more mature than that.  
"STOP RIGHT NOW NOW! I yelled as Grover raced over to the battle scene playing his reed pipes trying to undo the Demeter's cabin's gardening tick of wrapping long blades of grass around the legs of Athena.  
But no one was listening, either they could not or would not hear me. Only Clarisse seemed to hear, but she didn't comply, instead she walked over to me, drawing her electric spear. Styx  
"Clarisse," I said, slowly and concisely. Refusing to let the panic get to me, I was amazed at how easy it was now. I guessed you got a whole lot braver after going on a quest that could well get you dead. "Put it down and we can all talk about this."  
I raised my hand, that was another thing that I'd learnt from Percy. Trust yourself.  
"Just drop the spear and I won't attack you."  
Clarisse looked startled but didn't falter in her livid reply. "Whatever, drop the act Princess. Your kingdom's falling."  
"What?" I asked, I didn't understand. What did she mean about my kingdom falling? "Look, I don't know what you're talking about but I do know that you're mad about something. How about we call a meeting and sit down-"  
"I don't want," Clarisse hissed savagely. "An Athena-forsaken tea party, Wise Girl." She made my nickname sound like something vulgar, a ridicule, almost a curse. "Errete es korakas, sound familiar? And now, I will finally show you what it is like to really go to Hades. And not on a voluntary quest, either."  
Clarisse's spear hand grabbed out reckless, the spear jabbed through the air in an action so fast that it blurred in my vision. I couldn't move the speed of it was all too fast for my clouded mind to interpret and devise a plan. The angle was deadly, it would send a shock through my heart and I would die. I closed my eyes, my racing mind coming up with fractions and figures. But they were just all too slow. All too late.  
Just then there was a thickening in the air, a tension that I first thought was the receiving blow of the electric weapon but it was different. It wasn't pushing, it was pulling. It wasn't it a jabbing as restraining.  
Slowly, carefully I opened an eye.  
There was purple mist in the air, it was overpowering and smelt of wine, it was me feel heady. Surrounding me was dead silence, there was no noise, I looked over to the scene of the battle to see that it had been frozen. The purple mist pressed down on fighting demigods like a weightlifter's dumbbell to a rat. They were frozen.  
Clarisse was struggling against something tied around her hands, it a long, thick bramble covered in circular fruits. It tugged against her speak, steadily yet forcefully as if it was too lazy to assert its full power. A grapevine.  
"You demigawdsds-sh. Ssh-o inconssh-siderate, always beeeing insooolent and ray-oode." a familiar drunken voice murmured.  
Open the other eye in surprise, "Dionysus."  
The Wine God stood in front of Clarisse and I, twirling a mini grapevine around his pinky finger absent-mindedly. As he heard my voice he made a face, looked me up then down then back again with a look of disparagement.  
"Annoysh-ie... Belssle," his tone of distaste was slurred by his drunkenness.  
"You demigods-sh and that s-shatiiyr," He looked at Grover who was frozen in reed pipe-playing position. "whasizname. Granger-sh Utterwuurld? Always so inconsider-ershate, always being insolent and rude. Don't you see the effect that has on me?"  
I resisted to the urge to roll my eyes, it was his wine that had got him here. Maybe if he hadn't been so stupid before he wouldn't even be here, the only thing affecting him right now was laziness and a hangover..  
"So why are you here?" I snapped, some of my annoyance slipping into my tone.  
Dionysus didn't seem to notice my sharp tone or didn't notice it, either way I was glad that he wasn't manipulating grapes to wrap around me. He clicked his finger and Clarisse's electric spear flew out of her hand, disappearing as it because air borne.  
He stepped towards Clarisse who was now gasping of air, the grapevines were growling longer and longer. Spiraling further down her body and pressing against her chest, she writhed and cried out as she fought against the vines. If I was her I would've saved my breath and tried to hold the remaining air inside my lungs for as long as possible. Once she let go of that oxygen the vines would pull tighter, therefore closing of her airways. She needed to take quick, soft breaths from her nose, this way she would be balancing out the air flow but right now I couldn't care less about Clarisse.  
Mr D. turned back to me and spoke, "The old sh-centaur sent me to stop those rasshcalkls," he gestured casually to the frozen battle seen that spread out before me, hardly giving it so much as a glance. "Fwromsh killings seechudda. What's-sh ss-o wongs weevth letten-sh you keel eachudda? What's da lodss of a foow demigods to one rweelieved god? Shed dis too 'im but 'e wouldn't lisssten, he said that it went agginstt his beliefs, shchildwren ahs prewcious. yatas, yatash, yatash... pwfft."  
"So you'd rather see us dead?"  
"Abshowloutlysh!"  
"Just checking." I muttered as Mr D. turned back to Clarisse.  
"Looksh," Dionysus said to Clarisse whose lips had now gone blue. "Shwiron said 'at ee would nevah play cards with me egen if I let any of yous idiots kill eachudda, so don't touch-uh Aneese Belleuh."  
He thought for a moment, plucking a grape off the vine around his finger, chewed it thoughtfully swallowed then added, "Or at leeest, not ins my ear or eyeshotsh. Then it would be puurfectly assheptables."  
I ignored that, after 5 years of listening Mr. D make an effort to forget every new campers name and make them feel as unwelcome as possible, I knew that the best thing was to kip your lips sipped and your brain alert.  
Clarisse glared at me but nodded at Mr. D, the grapevine began to ease away from her arm which was bright purple and had huge marks that would scar pretty badly from the thorns.  
"Where's 'at Pewwies boy?" Dionysus said abruptly, looking around.  
Perry...whom?  
"Percy isn't here," I realised that Mr. D had released all the other demigods, too as Grover spoke. "We got the bolt from Hades, we went to Olympus to hand it to Zeus...by himself."  
I shivered at the words Percy, Hades and Zeus all in the same sentence. I didn't even want to try and comprehend the by himself part, if i thought of it, it would lead to dark thoughts of Percy getting hurt and I just couldn't bear to think of it when it could so easily be fulfilling itself into reality.  
Mr D. made a light sound of approval and I wondered if this once, maybe once he'd recognise just one camper, one hero. Recognise the significance of their actions...  
"I suppose I should myself lucky, thought." But this was Dionysus I was talking about. At least that Perry boy's dead. I shall open a can of wine, only on this rare occasion, to celebrate."  
I felt my fists clench at my sides, what did Dionysus know about Percy? He didn't know how brave and no noble and pure he was. Unlike his corrupted alcohol and partying.  
Grover shook with fury, he met my eyes and I knew he was thinking the same thing two. Nothing,. Dionysus knew nothing, he was useless, a fat lump whose only uses was being useless.  
"Now you'll excuse me," Dionysus said already glowing in a dim purple light. "But now I mushch go en play pinochle with Sh-chirons."  
Everyone looked away as he exposed his godly form and then transported off, probably to the Big House.  
Clarisse stood in front of me, glaring, she'd obviously had a fast recovery from the grapevines, her eyes were still wide and reckless. "So it's true then, there will be a war?"  
"Percy's going to Olympus to stop it, you heard Mr. D, now if you'll excuse me. I have to go and talk to Chiron," I stepped to the side, hoping on skirting around her but she mirrored my move. Not that it worried me, I mean, I knew that she was more than capable of pulverising me with her own two hands. Weapon or no weapon. But, oddly I felt completely calm. That was the effect Percy had had on me, not negative at all. Positive, if something was worth standing for then you had to stand for it no matter how much trouble it got you it because it was just, well, worth it.  
Clarisse snorted, a horrible noise like the one the bore had made before it'd charged at Percy. "Do you," she took a step closer to me, narrowing her eyes. "Really believe that that puny little idiot can stop a war? But I suppose it doesn't matter anyway, his dad's a lot better than your mother."  
I looked around at me, noticing that all the cabins were staring at me, waiting for my reply. Some smart comeback or maybe an attack move.  
"I believe," I said, ignoring them. "That Percy can do anything when he sets him mind to it and that he can stop this war, now I really, really have to go."  
I stepped the other way, faster than the last time then started to run, expecting Clarisse to block me again. I half skidded to a stop in shock when I realised that she wasn't chasing after me. I looked back to see her frozen on the ground. "Wait...you think Percy has a working mind."  
"Yes," I said, this time looking across the mixture of cabins who were all staring at me with their mouths hanging open. I couldn't really blame them. A daughter of Athena...almost complementing a son of Poseidon. Oh well, I thought. Might as well give them the real deal.  
"Percy Jackson is not as dumb, or unintelligent as you all think," I caught Malcolm's eye; he had dropped his sword and was staring at me in amazement. "Yeah, I learnt something from him. I learnt to be who you are he's given me the courage to do this."  
I turned back to Clarisse and whispered. "Go now and you'll save yourself a lot of embarrassment."  
She shook her head, vehemently. "What have you got against me, Princess?"  
"Oh, you'd be surprised," I whispered back and whispered into her ear. "How much do you really know about your dad, so-called God of War..."  
The Aphrodite cabin pushed other campers out of the way, wanting to hear the gossip. I lowered my voice; even Clarisse didn't deserve to be embarrassed in such a way in public.  
Once I'd finished telling her about today's events her face was flushed as red as a beetroot. "So, would you like everyone else to hear?" I asked her, smiling smugly afterwards.  
Clarisse opened her mouth, and then closed it. Seeming too angry or ashamed or both to speak.  
"Now, come on Goat Boy," I called to him. "We're going."  
Grover stood up, jogged over to me then together we ran to the Big House. The crowds behind us buzzing with curiosity, Clarisse's mouth was opening and closing like a goldfish but no words were coming out. It was nice to know that I could render Clarisse speechless, maybe now she'd leave me alone…  
Grover snorted next to me on the porch to the Big House. "Don't count on it."  
Then, we stepped into the room and were greeted by Chiron in his wheelchair, his face drawn with worry.  
"Come in, children. Let me explain about Camp."

"When you were gone on your quest," Chiron said, we were all sat around the small table inside the Big House. Dionysus was grumbling to himself in a small corner of the room, glaring drunkenly at us with blood shot eyes, he was upset that his game of pinochle had been interrupted. "There had been some trouble. Luke told me he talked to Percy about it through an Iris message earlier, did Percy not tell you?"  
I shook my head. "Percy didn't say much, he looked pretty shaken though...what exactly is the problem?"  
Grover bleated. "What's wrong?"  
Dionysus plucked a grape of the minigrapevine still wrapped around his finger then spat at him, "What's wrong ish that Ieyes mishing owt on pishinocle."  
Chiron gave the Wine God an exasperated look. "Dionysus, we discussed this earlier. You must speak to every camper nicely, safe and alive demigods are rare. We should respect every one of them, you might find that some of them could even become your friend-"  
"Frendsh? I shirtently dowst wants to besh friends with ishidots."  
I rolled my eyes, Grover mouthed "Typical" to me. Chiron sighed then turned back to us.  
"Unfortunately people at Camp don't seem to have faith in Percy, sadly they have turned to extreme circumstances. Unnecessary, I tried to tell them that the boy could go very far but the would not listen." He frowned. "Clarisse seems to have them under her command, the child is quite impudent."  
Mr. D made a hurumphing noise and muttered, "Theysh all ares." Then stuck his tongue out at Chiron like his was a naughty Kindergarten pupil, daring to be defiant to the teacher.  
I had to smile at that.  
"And the circumstances are...?" Grover asked, chewing on his lip nervously.  
Chiron sighed and entwined his hands on the table, stared at them for a moment then looked back up at us. "Someone, presumably the person who let the Hellhound into Camp, spread the word about the Big Three fighting."  
"How did they take this?" I asked, I turned around and looked out of the window that pointed towards the field were people were still standing with their weapons, arguing.  
I answered my own question, "Not well."  
"The Ares cabin supported the Sea God's side, mostly because the Athena cabin was supporting Zeus because of the rivalry..." Chiron looked at me, as if expecting some strange response.  
"Go on." I said.  
He gave me a funny look then continued, folding and unfolding his hands the way he always did when he was feeling uneasy. "Clarisse has a big influence on the other cabins, she managed to twist every one else's minds except Luke who declined."  
I smiled, Luke was always smart, never fighting on the wrong side. Always looking on the bright side. "I'm glad, if we'd had him out their with his sword skills and the rest of Hermes' trickery," he shuddered. "I fear the situation would have been a lot worse."  
"Wellsh, shey knows about Peter Shgeorgershon going to Olypush alone the figsh will get a lot worshe." Mr. D said, grinning in the corner.  
"Dionysus." Chiron said, sternly glaring at the Wine God.  
"Finesh, fines. Sh'ill be quiet." Mr. D said then went back to twirling the grapevine around his pinky.  
"What can we do?" Grover asked.  
"Actually young satyr," Chiron replied. "I was just getting to that."  
I nodded. "Okay, so, sir, what is it?"  
"Well, I was hoping you could talk to your cabin, get them to back down? Clarisse won't stop any other way..." Chiron seemed to be, pleading.  
"Sure," I said, wondering why he had to beg me. "Anything else?"  
Chiron looked surprised at my reply but turned to Grover. "Yes, Grover, I need you to help the Healers stock the First Aid room. Today's fight was stopped but only just, there may be fights later and people are injured from their previous disagreements."  
Grover nodded. "Now, sir?" he asked.  
"Yesh pleashe!" Dionysus squealed, clapping his hands like a little schoolkid.  
Chiron sighed, "You too Mr. D, please. You need some fresh air to sober up; I will not have you drunk yet again."  
"Ish not drunksh!" He protested, folding his arms.  
"Outside or there will be no pinochle later." Chiron said evenly.  
Dionysus stomped his feet, made a whiny protest then followed Grover out the door.  
"Foolish behavior. " Chiron shook his head. You must go and talk to your cabin. Thank you for being so co-operative, I didn't expect such a calm response from you. You're usually a bit..." he shook his head. "sensitive where your mother is concerned. I don't blame you, everyone has their own beliefs."  
"Yeah," I said. "Well, Percy helped me a lot like that. He's really not that bad and I learnt a lot of things, one of them was that you can't fight your parent's battles, or anyone else's. You have to stand for yourself, trust yourself and not anyone else's judgment."  
Chiron nodded slowly, looking impressed. "Well, let's hope for the best and that he's safe on Olympus. You must go now, talk to Malcolm, he's your second-in-command. Get him to listen then everyone else will, the Athena cabin have been thinking of him as their leader since you were gone for so long."  
"Okay..." I said, unsure how to say what I had been thinking of now. "It's just, well; I have a call to make." I breathed in. "To my dad."  
The centaur who had been so much like my father for all these years, the dad I wished that I had smiled gently at me as my heart leapt. I felt sick but I knew that I had made the right choice, even if my mind was screaming in fear my instinct declared it to be done.  
He frowned, his skin wrinkling ever so slightly. "Are you sure, Annabeth?"  
"I'm not sure of anything that I haven't tried," I said, each words flooding up from my heart, my instinct. "No one is without trying. If I mess up, that's fine, at least I'll know to back off and give my dad some space. If it goes well, well that's pretty darn convenient but I could live without it. Both scenarios are okay, because they're possibilities that haven't been tried. I'd like to try them."  
Chiron smiled, "My, well then Percy must be a smarter young lad than I had thought before."  
"I learnt," I said, looking at the pinochle cards still left on the table. "That everyone deserves a chance and when you're given a chance you either take it or you don't. But if you don't, you'll just never know…"  
With twinkling eyes the centaur nodded. "If only I could get him to talk some sense into Clarisse, get her to listen…"  
I smirked, "Oh, I think I solved that problem already."  
Chiron looked at me with caution. "Annabeth…what did you do?"  
"I merely told the truth," I told him, not being able to hold back a giggle at the memory of the look on Clarisse face after I told her about her cowardice of an Olympian, father.  
Chiron opened his mouth to say something then sighed. "Well, never mind, he said. If it stops the fights then it'll be worth it as long as you didn't say anything to harsh?" He raised an eyebrow at me, motioning for me to speak.  
"Nothing worse than she said to me." I confirmed, Chiron laughed.  
"This is supposed to be reassurance?"  
"Nothing too bad." I amended.  
Chiron nodded then reached into his trouser pocket, looking around for something then pulled out a golden drachma and placed it in my hand. "Here," he said. "Take this to make an Iris Message, using your mobile would be too risky, especially with the spy at Camp."  
"Thanks." I said and closed my hand over it; my skin suddenly felt icy cold and stood up, facing the window outside.  
"Well, uh, do you want me to stay?" Chiron asked, carefully and slightly awkwardly.  
I shook my head. "No, no sir. I'd rather go alone but thank you." If someone supported me, when I had gotten my end result it wouldn't feel right. I wouldn't feel satisfied with myself because I hadn't accomplished it myself.  
Chiron nodded with such understanding that I thought that he might of, somehow, been reading my thoughts. "I'm proud of you child, I wish you the best luck."  
His wrinkled, hand squeezed around mine and then he gave me a look that seemed to say I am glad that you have finally made the right choice.  
Then he pulled his hand from mind and wheeled himself out of the room.  
I flipped the golden drachma over and over in my hand, feeling its weight in my hands and held in above my head then stood up and closed my eyes. Praying with such emotion that it seemed to vibrate through every fibre of my being, then ricocheted around my room, the feeling grew and grew until my head was filled with the pounding of its energy. It seeped through my skin and whizzed around the room, setting it off balance at an awkward angle.

"Oh Goddess," I whispered as the room seemed to spin around me. "Goddess, please except my offering." Then I threw the coin through the window that shook unsteadily and listened as it gave a light plop as it landed on the surface of the lake. I breathed in through my nose and sat down on the brown chair, my legs no longer able to take my body weight.

I thought that I'd never remember what he looked like, that the memories were too painful and too distant to conjure up but now I remembered every line, every hair, every word of everything he'd every said to me. Every bad joke he'd made, every timed he'd called me smart, every time he said he loved me.  
He had blonde hair, the exact shade of mine, he wasn't saying anything. He seemed too shocked to speak; I wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. His large grey glasses had pieces of tape at the sides. No doubt he'd broken them again. He always used to lose them in all his coursework and stuff. Just now he was in the room that I vaguely recognised as his work office, he had been writing something but now he had dropped his pen and was staring into the Iris Message.  
As I looked at the person who was called Frederick Chase, my biological father I felt so bear and vulnerable, saying my feelings to my dad blatantly, clearly were something that I had not done for 5 years now.  
No, longer, I hadn't said anything about how I felt before I left, maybe never.  
And here I was, standing here, looking at him for the first time in half a decade, struggling to find the words that I would say to him. To explain.  
"Dad," I said, looking straight at him. I was not going to let him make me feel small ever again, I was better than him. I could do this. Of course, I knew the answer already. He'd obviously say know, I was just doing this to prove a point, to keep myself from wondering What if…? "Before you even start to speak, just know that I don't want to hear it. Any of it. I don't want your excuses or lies or any of that rubbish."  
He still didn't say anything; he was looking at me as if I was an alien. I tried not to feel self-conscious about that, what did he know about me? Who was he to judge me? "Just tell me, do you or do you not want me to live with your family?"  
My father swallowed repeatedly, pushing his glasses up from their frames and squinting his eyes closed. If you're not pleased, I yelled so loudly in my mind that I bit down on my lip, thinking it was an actual sound. With your own daughter then you can go to Hades!  
"Annabeth…is that really you?" His voice was small and shaky.  
"Who else do you think I am?" I snapped. Di immortales, get it right. "And don't even start yelling at me, I am way out of your little manipulation and oppression. You cannot, will not and will never hurt me again."  
I wanted to sound angry but the words seemed lacking in something, even to me. It was because he was hurting me even now.  
"Annabeth?" he said again, his tone that of wonder.  
"What?" I said, folding my arms and trying to look casually annoyed. But I was really doing it because it made me feel safe, less vulnerable, maybe if I protected my heart he couldn't manipulate it again.  
"You're really there?" His eyebrows were raised and he was blinking over and over again. Like he thought he had something in his eyes.  
"It's called an Iris Message." I muttered then focused on my shoes, I wanted more than anything to disconnect this message but then I'd never learn anything. I needed to prove myself worthy. Not just for my dad but for my own sake, then maybe I'd stop thinking about how I could still be living with my father now.  
"But, Annabeth. You really called me; you wanted to speak to me…why?" He adjusted his glasses yet again.  
"If you don't want to speak to me then that's fine." I said, willing myself to believe it.  
But I didn't. Emotion was leaking out from that dagger wound, gushing out so quickly that no plaster ever stood a chance of sealing it.  
"No, no, no!" My dad shouted.  
I stepped back, flinching away from his words. They were painful, each no drew some of the blood out of the wound. It was agonising, I knew that my dad would've said no anyway but not this way. Not so harshly.  
"Well," I said, blinking. There was something in my eyes again. "I guess, well. Bye!"  
I rushed over to the I.M. and started to wave my hand over it, I wanted to make him disappear. Make this whole conversation go away.  
"Annabeth, no! That's not what I meant I do want to speak to you; it's…I…you…Iris Message—" He spluttered.  
"Speak to me?" I whispered, the words sounded so strange as they entered my ears. "You, want to speak to me." I tried to words out again, putting more force into them. I leaned further back into my chair as the room rocketed even faster around me.  
"Yes, Annabeth. Of course, I'd love for you to live with us!"  
"You mean it?" I asked hesitantly, letting the words rebound off my mind guard.  
"Annabeth, that's all I've ever wanted since you left. I'm sorry that you felt so sad here that you left."His eyes grew sad and tired under his old glasses lenses. "I wish that I could've been a better parent, it was hard for me to except the fact that you were, it still is…"  
I rubbed my head, everything that he said seemed to bore in my shield, soon all the information would burst it. "Dad, I have to go. It's just...too much at once to deal with."  
My father nodded as if he understood. "Okay, well Iris Message me when you've dealt everything."  
"Okay." I said, standing up and walking towards the I.M.  
"Annabeth…you'll always be my daughter and I'll always be you'll father. I-I'll always love you." He said, slowly, awkwardly. The surface of my mind started to ache as the words made a small hole in my barrier, grazing against it. I quickly disconnected the message, paced up and down the room for a minute then walked onto the porch of the Big House, leaning my head against the metal railing. Camp was still bright, it was Summer Solstice after all, but outside Zeus's rage cast pitch blackness outside and lightning zipped around the edges of the border then zipping away as if wanting to find a way inside but was hesitant in this action, undecided.  
I felt sick, what if Zeus decided that he wanted to kill Percy? But it was better than Zeus just striking Percy down on the floors of Olympus without a second thought.  
I listened to birds sing in the distance, trying to find a way to make sense of what had happened without letting my heart affect my mind.  
"Hey," a voice said from beside me. "You alright?"  
I looked to my right, Luke was sitting beside me, his blonde hair swept to the side in a delicate waves. His full lips were pursed into a small round circle; I wanted to tackle him with a kiss. The mere thought of his soft, gentle lips on mine made me feel giddy. "You alright?" Luke repeated, looking into my eyes. I blushed as I was once again reunited with his sapphire eyes.  
"Yeah-I, how…" I stammered, my already slow mind spewing out nonsense. My blush deepened with embarrassment. Ugh, why did I have to act like such a fool around him?  
Luke smiled at me but there was something about it that made my heart pound, not with appreciation but with fear. Something felt sickeningly wrong, I noticed, his sapphire eyes; they were almost bitter. Luke's eyes were normally sweet and warm. Like Per-  
I pushed Percy to the back of my mind; I didn't want to be reminded of where he was now…alone.  
"Luke, my dad-" I managed to get out, I was feeling pretty impressed with myself when Luke cut me off.  
"Parents," he snorted. The noise, normally as pleasant as his kind eyes was acerbic, more like a hiss than an expression of cheer. "All the same, always failing you."  
"Well, not this time…" I looked into Luke's eyes then flinched, my heart pounding even faster. It was as if his eyes were burning, and not in the way that Percy's did. Not glowing in a light of irritation or anger. No, it was the vilest kind of abhorrence, like hearing me say these words not only made him feel psychically sick. His heart was sick. "He said he loves me," I continued, shivering away from his heated glare. "And he'd love for me to live with him."  
I yelped as the wood base of the porch vibrated, bending upwards below me. I looked up to see Luke, he was trembling. The atmosphere around him seemed to buzz with negative energy that was blue, but not the beautiful gem blue of Luke's eyes. No, it was darker, much darker and not in shade, it carried the feeling of dread and blackened anger with it. It was dark energy. Very dark and seeing it around Luke made me want to scream.  
"Luke, are-are you, are you okay?" I managed through my closed throat.  
Luke spoke but it wasn't a response to me, his voice seemed deeper, coated with a thick layer of ruthlessness and age. Luke was older than me, okay, a lot older than. He was 20, if fact but twenty isn't that old, it's college-age for a regular mortal. But now, now…  
The atmosphere that hung from him now pained my eyes to see it, it was horrible, sticky and tight and all shriveled up as it neared his body but it's crippled form did not make it any less heinous. The thing around him was dated, weakened by age and stripped of the full use of its powers but it was still there. So much so that it almost overpowered me, I felt like lying down on the porch and letting its putrid intensity incinerate me.  
"Parents are never there for you, Annabeth, they never care. Never want to know you and if they do it's for their own personal gain, nothing more." The words were dry and raspy, as if he couldn't get enough air and they felt dethatched, separate from his own body. Almost as if it wasn't him who was speaking. You know all those frustrating times when I can't figure something crucial out that could either make or break a situation, even if it's life threatening? Yeah, now was one of those times. But this time it was bigger, somehow more important than the others. It was like a million people were screaming different things in my head all at once and I knew that one of them was saying something useful but whenever I tried to listen to one another interrupted and when I tried to listen to them another interrupted and so on. My head was pounding; it throbbed like a cannonball's violent force against a measly brick house. Except my head didn't explode, it continued to pound and pound and pound. Somehow this was worse; the most frustrating thing was I knew that one of those voices was saying something imperative. Something that I needed to remember so badly that it caused me almost psychical pain.  
"Luke," I said softly. "Calm down. I don't know what happened with your mother and yourself before…" Luke's already inflamed face hardened. It looked as if he was going to explode.  
I reached out with my arm and gently placed my hand on top of his, he didn't respond to this. He just stared heatedly in the other direction, his breathing rough. "Luke, please, look at me. I'm not saying my dad treated me worse than your mum, I don't know how bad she was or anything; I wasn't around. But I'm here now, I don't know what happened then but I can say that now you're not alone. You can talk to me and, well, I may not understand," I cleared my throat, I hate saying I don't understand stuff. "But I can sure listen and try to link my experiences to—"  
"The Hades you will!" Luke's gripped suddenly tightened on my hand with bone-crushing force; I bit down on a scream as my hand began to turn red under his tight grip. "What do you know about experience, Annabeth, really? You think you can just come from one feeble quest and say that you know what I've been through?! You went to see Hades, you came back. You have no idea what it felt like when—"  
Luke's free hand brush mournfully over his scar, his eyes lost in the sad memory.  
"I'm so sorry..." I whispered, sliding my hand out of his now loosened grip. "I didn't mean it like that. Luke, you were really brave on that quest, your father was proud of you. He would've been an idiot not to be."  
Luke shook his head, I thought it was at sadness but there was something fiercer in his eyes.  
"Look, I won't force you to tell me everything that happened but, please, Luke. You've got to say something to someone, one of your brothers, a close friend. Friends are always there Luke, they—" I knew I'd made a mistake when Luke's voice snapped back to me harshly.  
"Thalia was my best friend. My girlfriend. I don't think you could've gotten much closer with us. She saw through me, into my heart." Luke sent me a resentful glance. "Look what happened to her, turned into a pine tree."  
I clamped my eyelids down on a poignant tear, trying to get a hold on my own grief as the memory of my best friend, my sister scolded my eyes. Her electric blue eyes sparked and crackled in my vision. I breathed in deeply, opening my eyes then turned to Luke. If this was how I was feeling now, how must he feel? When I was seven I didn't remember much, I guess when you're Athena's kid and an ADHD infant you don't retain much information about things like love or romance but now, looking back on those few moments were I would catch them gazing into the other's eyes. Sometimes holding hands or just sitting down in the new place that we had travelled to and hugging each other. I disregarded those moments, thought of them as just older kid stuff, not really going into detail. Of course now, seeing what Luke went through afterwards and the anguish that he was now feeling made me see the strength of their relationship.  
"Luke," I whispered. "What happened with Thalia was tragic. You lost the person you loved the most, you lost your best friend and your girlfriend. But Thalia would want you to move on, not to forget her or pretend that she'd never existed. You could never do that. No, she'd want you to take those memories with you, treasure them and live in the moment. Find the happiness from those thoughts, Luke. I don't know, just please, Luke. I really don't like seeing you like this."  
Luke looked at me, his eyes withdrawn to any sign or intention of listening to what I had to say. Hades, if only Percy was here. He'd know what to say. He always knows the right thing to say.  
"Annabeth, you're a fighter and I know you care but," Luke brushed his jeans then stood up, looking distant. "I have to go."  
"Luke! You need to listen!" I'd meant to say they word in a persuasive tone but all that came out was a desperate plea.  
"No, Annabeth. I just need to hear something different." He said then started off down the steps.  
"Luke, wait!" Strangely I felt a wrenching pain in my stomach and I felt the dizzy, sick feeling I got when I saw spiders…or something bad was going to happen.  
"Luke," I said in a more even tone. "Don't go, you really need to listen to this. No, Luke- don't-" But my words fell on deaf ears as he clicked his finger and disappeared in a cloud of sticky stuff.  
"Darn Hermes and his stupid transportation gifts." I grumbled. Thunder rumbled in the distance. "Sorry." I muttered and the lightning subsided.  
I shook my head and stood up, I could talk to Luke later and my father could wait. Right now I had a whole cabin to sort out. I sighed and started down the steps. How in the world do you tell your siblings who are daughters of Athena that their mother's rival's son turns out to be pretty cool?  
The answer: I had no idea.  
Oh Percy, where are you when I really need you? I thought, knowing that now I'd always need my friend Percy. I couldn't lose him like I'd lost Thalia.

plz R&R


	18. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: This Fan fiction is based on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief book. I do not own any of the characters, books or really anything thing to do with the Lightning Thief. I'm just re-writing it in Annabeth's perspective.  
-

After looking at the Athena cabin from a distance and imagining the stony expressions that I'd see there, I decided that I needed more time to gather my thoughts before I could talk to my cabin in a clear way. Trouble was, sentiment is my weak point. I suppose I get that from my mother; you can't exactly be soppy when you're leading a war but just a bit of emotional intuition would be nice. Especially when you need that emotional intuition to help stop a war, between cabins or not. Having a fight with the Ares cabin leading one side and the Athena cabin leading the other would not be pretty. Seeing at the rest of the Athena cabin were as emotionally dense as myself and all the only emotion the Ares cabin felt was bloodlust.  
I headed over to the Amphitheatre, my favourite place at Camp; a small stadium designed by the demigods at Camp over 2000 years ago. It felt close to me, ever since my first day here, it was a long time ago and back then I was crying. Crying my heart out because I'd lost one of the first, and only friends, that I'd ever had, the closest thing to a true sibling that I'd ever had. I remember being so, so confused. I felt tired that night, it was well past midnight and the stars were out, shining so brightly. And I yelled at them, I screamed, why the night should be so beautiful at a time like that? Why didn't the Gods mourn her loss? The stars have shouldn't been seen, the moon should've been eclipsed, hidden by some sort of darkness. Because I really didn't want to see any light. Anything good just tipped my luck further away from me. When Thalia had died my lucked had slipped out of my fingers, my joy momentarily disappeared and I couldn't see anything good anymore. Nothing was solid; nothing stayed the same but Luke. He was there with me, held me as I wept. Luke didn't shed a tear though I knew that the pain that he'd felt in side must've ran a lot deeper than my own. But he just rubbed my back and hummed a song to me; he has the most beautiful voice in the world. Like an orchestra of people playing and on that night he was playing that song to me, telling me everything would be fine. Soothing the pain, drying the tears, being there for me even though his own pain must've been much greater than my own. We walked through the Amphitheatre, Luke, Chiron and I. And even then, through all my grief I was still overcome with the beauty of the Amphitheatre. With Luke there beside me, holding my hand while I looked at this beautiful architecture through I realised that the world could be beautiful without my best friend. I'd just have to give it time, building my happiness back. Brick by break, month by month, year by year and not without effort but it'd be worth it at the end. Just like the Amphitheatre.  
I've always been able to think clearly he, it feels like home. It reminds me of how nothing comes without effort, and if I aim high enough I could do something even better than this.  
When I got to Amphitheatre I walked up to the top then dropped my backpack onto it saw and sat down. Something tickled my forehead and I realised that my hair was hanging loose. I sighed, tying a knot in it to keep it out of my face, I needed to focus.  
Right, I thought when I had relaxed back against the seat. Think.  
I searched around my mind, trying to find different ways to back up various points but none of them sounded right, even to myself. They either sounded to flat or too elaborate, neither persuasive. I mean, people believed that I was smart and everything, being the daughter of Athena but book intelligence only stretches so far. And now I'd crossed that intelligence-emotions life there was no way of making my words seem even semi-correct.  
I looked down to see Luke's siblings, Connor and Travis Stoll, playing a game of cards on the first row. Neither seem to be winning although they both pulled tricks on each other, cheating their way through the way. Connor looked up, seeing me looking at me and said, "Oh, hi Annabeth."  
"Yeah, hey Annabeth." Travis said, looking at me over a fan of cards.  
"Hi guys." I sighed.  
"What wrong?" The older Stoll asked.  
"Nothing, just thinking up a way to explain to the other about everything, you know..."  
He nodded and looked back at his card, frowning.  
I closed my eyes, trying to breathe deeply. I needed a plan. I sat there for a few minutes more, changing my position then my ADHD kicked in so I paced and thought. Finally, when I couldn't bear a second longer standing here in defeated I pulled my backpacked over one shoulder and headed down the stairs.  
I was just about to head back to the Athena cabin, plan or no plan. When Travis said, "Annabeth?"  
I stopped, turning around. "Yeah?"  
The Stoll brother looked at each other and they seemed to share a secret message; they nodded and turned back to me.  
"Spoken to Luke, lately?" Connor asked.  
"Er, yeah-why?"  
"We just thought he...he's been acting kind of..." Travis shuffled as if anxiously, the other Stoll bit his lip.  
"Strange?" I said, slinging my backpack off my shoulder again and sitting down by them. "Yeah, I did talk to him and he seemed so wrapped up in something."  
Both Stolls nodded wordlessly, frowning.  
"I think it was something personal," Travis opened his mouth to say something, still nodding. "About his mother." Travis shut his mouth, Conner blinked.  
"Why would he worry about his mother now, I mean, after all these years...unless someone brought it up?" he looked at me accusingly.  
I looked away.  
"Well," Conner said. "Did you?"  
I turned back to him. "Yeah, I did I..." I looked at the two Stolls brother, and then said quietly. "I called my dad."  
Both of them looked at me, their eyes searching me while shaking their heads more quickly. I stared at the ground again... "Look," I mumbled. "I'm sorry, okay. I really shouldn't have mentioned it, okay?"  
Connor looked at me, his eyes confused. "No, we're glad that you finally spoke to your dad. It's more courage than we've ever had to speak to our mum," the boys shared a sad glance. "But it's not your fault. Luke was upset before that, I mean Luke was kind of far away before. Like he was thinking of something that no one else knew. But after you guys went on you quest," Connor gestured in the direction of the borderline. "He's just got more and more angry. Annabeth, I know he missed you and I know he still misses his mum but I really don't think it's that, or at least just that. It's...deeper."  
My stomach churned and I had that feeling of being urgent need to do something again. Something that I couldn't remember but I needed to know...  
I stood up, pushing the feeling back. "Look, I wish I could talk but I have a Camp war to control. But...I'll talk to you later."  
The Stolls said goodbye then I ran down the hill to the Athena cabin, ignoring the fact my hair was coming undone yet again. Remembering that I'd ran down the other side of this hill just a little while back when Percy was still unclaimed and life was a lot less crazy than was now. And definitely, most certainly a lot less crazy than what was soon about to happen.

I stood outside the Athena cabin, still hopelessly trying to find a way to explain why Percy was a valuable person or why he should be trusted but I was still coming up blank. I mean, the words were there, I just didn't know how to say them intelligently. Which was kind of scary for me, I'm known for the intelligent things that I say.  
I was biting my lip, thinking of ways to argue different points, all failing when the door swung open. There Malcolm stood, his arms crossed, face sombre. "Annabeth," he said. Frowning in the doorway. "Come in." Then he stepped aside, letting me to pass under the wooden doorframe.  
The atmosphere in the room was tight and fierce, a mild degree of the wild bloodlust that I had sense in the air earlier. The door clicked shut behind me, seeming to freeze the cold emotion that swam in the room. There was the sound of an old bed string stretching then receding as Malcolm sat down on the bed, his expression unfaltering as if plastered to his face.  
I cleared my throat, standing up in the middle of the room and scanned the room. Not a single eye had the slightest hint of kindness. All looked angry, even ashamed. Of me. No, this was all wrong. I hadn't done anything; more to the point Percy hadn't done anything except risk his life for the well-being of others.  
With this thought in mind I mustered my first few words, "Guys, I know I've been away for quite a while and obviously there's been a situation-"  
All at once the Athena cabin was filled with coughing that sounded suspiciously like muffled whispering. I looked around at my siblings, trying catch their eyes but none of them would look at me. I sighed, and then looked up to find everyone silent. The only sound was the rhythmic tick-tocking of the grey clock with a picture of an owl engraved on it. Everyone seemed transfixed…on me. But before I could be too pleased about that a angry voice came from behind.  
"Situation," the voice scoffed. "Please."  
I turned around to see Clarisse standing in the doorway, her brown hair was coarse and tangled, her clothes splattered with bloodstains. She looked at me with an expression of repulsion that was somehow, unbelievably, more heated than the way she normally looked at me. But there was the faintest hint of chagrin. Even more surprising was that Clarisse was here standing at the entrance to my cabin. She hated coming within a 2 metre radius with a child of Athena unless it was to beat them up and there was no way that anyone, even Clarisse, would dare to take on the Athena cabin solo.  
Couldn't the girl just something go for once?  
My eyes widened, she knew what I'd told her and she still stood here? I had to admit: the girl had some nerve or a huge gap in her brain.  
Clarisse's own eyes narrowed, she opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by another voice. I looked to my side and Malcolm stood there beside me, his arms folded tightly. "You dotterel idiot, why are you here?" Malcolm shook his head, his eyes hard and stern, it reminded of our mother, Athena. "No, don't even answer that-just back off, okay? I'm giving you a chance here-"  
I stepped back, looking at Malcolm firmly in the eye. "What is it that makes you think that you can just make decisions for the whole cabin? We vote, that's our policy. We vote then we wait to see what can be obtained from the situation only then do we-"  
It was Clarisse's turn to cut someone off now. "There is no situation!" she yelled her face steady but slightly red.  
"Clarisse, just go. We don't have time to discuss this right now." said, speaking to Clarisse but keeping one eye on Malcolm whose chin was set at a rigid, hard angle. His eyes were equally as hard.  
"What do you mean by 'we', exactly, Annabeth?" Malcolm's tone was cutting as he glared at me.  
"I mean," I said, feeling my face heat with anger. "That I make the final decisions here."  
"Oh, really?" There was a mocking edge to his tone as he spoke to me. No one mocks me. There's nothing even remotely humorous about thinking you can go around trying to belittle the daughter of Athena. Especially when you're another child of Athena who should know a lot better.  
"Yes, really." I shot back.  
"What happened to voting?"  
"You weren't concerned it about it a moment ago."  
"Well, you were hardly making a choice that was beneficial to our cabin, our side of the fight."  
"How do you know what they right side is when you're against me this very moment?"  
"Your point being...?"  
I turned, facing the rest of my cabin. "Does anybody really know the whole story about Percy's quest? All if it?"  
"Does anybody know that everything she's got to say is a lie?" Clarisse said.  
"Do you know how to shut up?" Malcolm hissed. "Or do I have to teach you?"  
"Stop with all the questions!"  
"Whatever, now are you going to—"  
"Another question!" Clarisse laughed.  
"Shut the Hades up and just listen to me!" I yelled, everyone looked at me for a second my sudden outburst then went back to talking. Hey, maybe that's the answer, they won't listen to me alone, and I'm sure she won't listen to anyone else alone but... "Come with me." I said, grabbing Malcolm's arm and pulling him with me as I walked towards the door.  
Malcolm blinked, surprised. "Where are we going?"  
"You'll see," I muttered and looked back. "You too Clarisse."  
Clarisse bared her teeth. "And why should I go anywhere with you?"  
"Because only weaklings would stay here, arguing without getting any end result." I said as I opened the door. "Now are you coming, or not?"  
Clarisse hissed but stomped past me outside. "And for the record," She snarled. "I don't do anything without expecting an end result." I rolled my eyes and shut the door, shutting out the chattering of my siblings. Then I marched down the path to the other side of the cabins, I had a few more announcements to make.

Clarisse sat down glaring at me across the oblong wooden table that we had moved inside the Volleyball Court. Malcolm sat beside me, his grey eyes adamant; he had been talking to be for the last few minutes.  
"I told you," Malcolm said. "There's nothing more to be discussed. Can't you just accept the truth, I mean, your friend-Fish Head is not going to come back. Okay? As much as you want him to—"  
"Seaweed Brain," I interrupted, my tone defensive.  
Malcolm's eyes were a question mark.  
I sighed and shook my head; it'd probably just make him angrier to know that I'd given Percy a nickname. Worse still a term of endearment. "It's nothing. What I meant to say was that you can't think like that Malcolm. A child of Athena waits, patience is the key."  
"Rationalising is also important," Malcolm insisted. "And, Annabeth, this isn't rational. You can't put your hopes on a dolt, you must realise the consequences of what will happen if Zeus doesn't take to his story, right?"  
I breathed in. "Yes Malcolm, I most certainly do. If Percy's killed Zeus will be free to have war with Poseidon and Hades. Knowing our mother she might, in this situation she would side with her father because she doesn't like Hades and Poseidon is out of the question. The whole camp will be split up and we'll be forced to fight for who we support and, obviously, our loyalty lies with our mother so that'll have some impact on our choice." I exhaled, having said this in one breath. It was a lot easier than before, somehow I felt more in control, more mature. Maybe it was the fact that I'd had the courage to face my Dad or just some time to come back to Camp; readjusting to the place where no monsters could get in unless they were for training purposes.  
Malcolm relaxed into his chair, smiling faintly. "So you understand?"  
"As a daughter of Athena I am capable of rationalising and knowing which side to support. I can work with my head."  
Malcolm was grinning now. "Good, so we're all clear." He learned forward, this time speaking more quietly, "Come on, let's go back to our siblings; we need to work out a plan."  
"No. I said I understood but I never said I accepted."  
"What?" Malcolm's smile dropped off his face, leaving in bleak and disbelieving. "Annabeth Chase, are you insane?"  
"My loyalty lies with my mother," I said, smiling. "But it's also with Percy. He's helped me so much all these past few weeks Malcolm, you wouldn't believe what he's done. He's killed so many monsters and saved countless lives. "  
Malcolm's nose wrinkled with distaste. "Anyone of us," Malcolm gestured across the table. A few more camp councilors were sitting on the opposite of end of table the Dionysus brothers, Katie Gardner from Demeter and Beckendorf from the Hephaestus cabin. "can fight monsters, we're demigods Annabeth. That's what we're trained for, that's all that we're trained for. To learn, to fight, to serve our parents."  
"To learn, sure, to fight, of course but to serve...that depends who you're serving. You can't trust that everyone's Olympian parent," my eyes shifted to Clarisse's direction and her already agitated glare intensified. "Has a right mind; one that works independently."  
"Poseidon's mind isn't right and I'm sure Percy's served his dad well. Dumb little kid probably stole the bolt for his precious little daddy."  
There was a soft creak from the chair opposite me; I looked up immediately. My back stiffened my argument with Malcolm momentarily forgotten in the fear that filled me now. And before I could see his face completely I felt him. Not in the good way, liked when I'd sensed his eyes on me many times before and my face automatically reddened. No, it was that grotesque cloud that was clinging to him; it's ancient aura turned something cold and nasty in my stomach.  
My breath came out shakily as I exhaled. Luke's face was weary; his eyes wore that obsolete, murky tone again. His lips curved up into a sick, laboured smile when he saw me looking at him and I felt as if he was remembering our earlier conversation.  
Drinking life from him, I realised as I locked eyes with him. it's depressing him...whatever this thing is it's scraping out the happiness inside his heart.  
"Oh Gods, Luke..." I whispered, searching his face for any signal as to how I could help. But I couldn't. Once again I did not have the words to make him feel better, didn't have the words to show him he wasn't alone. I clawed at my mind for the answers that I knew lay there but none rose to the surface. I looked at Luke helplessly, letting my whisper be carried off and away by the wind; to somewhere were my plea would be heard.  
Luke stared back at me, tension showed in every muscle of his body. It hurt to watch Luke's pure blue eyes under such stain; hurt even more to know that I could help but the answer way just out of reach but I couldn't look away. Grey things began to dance around the edges of my vision but they seemed to be forming some sort of pattern or line. Luke stared at me between the grey clouds but I still could not figure out what to do or say. The spots in my vision were arranges themselves now, spinning...spelling something ou—  
"Annabeth, Annabeth..." I sat up, someone was shaking my arm. I looked around to see Malcolm tapping my arm gently. "The meeting." He hissed.  
The things in my vision were saying something; I saw sure that I could see a first letter if I just tried hard enough to figure out what it was. Luke's weary eyes stared at me, piercing m— "The Cabin Council meeting, Annabeth. You called it, everyone's here, now talk. That's what you wanted, wasn't it?"  
I sat up, blinked and looked around, for the first time in what had seemed to be hours of staring at Luke but probably must've been a few seconds. Malcolm was right; everyone was staring at me expectantly from around the table. I stood up hastily, trying as best as I could to gather whatever information I had thought up for this meeting as the grey dissipated. "Right," I said as I looked around the table, catching the eye of each councillor to make them feel included. But when I looked at Luke, I couldn't look away; there was something... I could've sworn that something grey flashed before my eyes. What I had seen before in full but not for long enough to comprehend or memorise it. Something hard thumped against by leg and I jumped, my reverie broken. I looked down. Clarisse cleared her throat noisily, smirking.  
"So you're probably all wondering why I've called here and I know that you all probably want to know my side of story as much as I do yours." Clarisse snorted, Malcolm rolled hiss eyes; I glared at them both. "So I'm not only going to speak at first, I'm going to listen. I want to know everything that you've been told, know and have heard about the quest and what you think of it all." I sat down, looking at Clarisse.  
"Well, don't look at me," Clarisse said. "I've already told you what I know."  
I looked over at Malcolm who shrugged, looking disappointed. "So did I and you wouldn't listen."  
"I did." I said to Malcolm; Clarisse smirked at me. "I did," I said with more emphasis, speaking to both of them. "I listened to you, I get what your saying. It's just that, well, I know that your thoughts are misguided..."What I want is other opinions.," I looked down the table. "new ones."  
A buzz went through the table as councilors whispered to each other. I tried to relax against my chair, trying to drown out the frustration and the nagging need to remember something badly that could make Luke happy. Luke needed to be happy; for the past 5 years he'd been my source of happiness. Something to help keep me grounded here in the time that everything was crazy...  
I looked up, a voice came across the table. "Um, I have something to say." Katie Gardner's hand was raised as she looked at me across the table. Everyone around the table nodded. "Okay, Katie. Now what is it that you want to say?"  
Katie stood up, looking at me. "Well I-"  
I shook my head, gesturing to the crowd. Katie looked around the table, then spoke more loudly.  
"I was told about your quest with Percy and so was the rest of the camp. We had this really big fights, well, we had lots; for our parents, you know." Katie held up her hands. "Don't get me wrong or anything, I mean, I like you and your siblings and I have nothing against your mother but... Well, everyone's supporting Poseidon. I mean, everyone but your cabin..."  
"Yeah," Lee Fletcher, the Apollo councilor added. "I mean, Athena obviously didn't want to join our side. I mean, we couldn't just do nothing. So we fought."  
"And we're damn right not to," Malcolm snapped. "Poseidon is an idiot; how do you think he's going to defend himself against Zeus. Especially with Athena on his side."  
Clarisse stood up and started yell about how stronger her perfect little daddy was and Malcolm yelled back at her about Athena being superior to Ares. Everyone else followed her example and soon all the councilors were yelling, except myself.  
And Luke.  
Luke was sitting down, not saying anything at all. His eyes were cold and hard, they looked faraway. Like he was thinking of something; I could normally get the gist of what Luke was thinking without much effort. His mind was normally so open an clear that it was hard not to know what he was thinking. Now, he looked like he was in some depressing reverie, buried so deep within his mind that I couldn't reach it. I bit my lip, frustrated and worried. I looked around the table, everyone was still shouting. I decided that I'd had enough; they'd had their chance to speak, now it was mine.  
"Quiet!" I stood up, shouting over the raised voices of the other councilors. "Okay, well, I know you're all saying that we should stand for our parents but maybe we shouldn't. They're big enough, they're strong enough and certainly old enough so why feel the need to-"  
I broke off, seeing the surprised looks of my fellow councilors. Only Luke's face stayed the same. Only he was the one who didn't seemed bother by what I'd just said, in fact, from his pensive expression I wondered if he'd heard me at all. "Listen, I got a dream. From my mum."  
Everyone sat up a little straighter in their chairs then and leaned forward. Clarisse just scowled.  
"She said this: 'The ones who you call your enemies are the ones you must hold onto with all your strength.' We need to stick together."  
Malcolm chewed on his lip thoughtfully as if considering this idea. "Malcolm, she said No matter how horrendous they are. I swear to you she did, and I also swore to her to hold onto the ones I call my enemies."  
Malcolm's grey eyes because murky and I could read the question in them How do I know that you're not lying.  
"Malcolm, Percy's my friend and I believe in him and all. But that doesn't mean that I've stopped believing in you, or that I don't believe in our cabin. Don't you think it all makes sense? Would mum act solely on some ancient squabble between her and another God? And wouldn't she want us to work with people would didn't like; just so we could keep ourselves on the right side?"  
"Annabeth," Malcolm said. "That…would…make…sense," he said every word as if it burned his tongue. "Mother would want us to side with people for survival."  
"Well, it does sound pretty sensible to me." Beckendorf put in.  
"We think so too." Castor said, his twin, Pollux nodding in agreement beside him.  
"So, have we reached an understanding?"  
"No! I'll never side with you Princess." Clarisse growled. I ignored her; everyone else seemed to agree with me.  
"Okay, put your hand up if you disagree—no, not including you Clarisse." Clarisse was just itching to put her hand up but her opinion wasn't fair at all; it was too biased to be counted as a fair vote. I was pleased to see that no one felt the need to put their hand up.  
"Good," I said. "So, I guess that's all. No fighting, no arguing. Agreed?"  
Everyone agreed.  
"Well…then our meeting is over."  
The councilors got up and started off in the other direction. Luke clicked his finger and disappeared, Clarisse walked away muttering rubbish under her breath. I rubbed my temples; I wanted so badly to walk off with them and go after Luke but I knew that he'd probably just lash out or close off to me again. If I only knew the way, if I could only jog my memory…  
"Annabeth, you alright?" I looked up, Malcolm was standing beside me.  
"Yeah," I said. "Why aren't you with the others?"  
Malcolm shook his head. "I wanted to talk to you. Look, about earlier, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me I just wanted what was best for the cabin. I was a naïve idiot and…sorry."  
I smiled, "That's okay. I probably would've done the same thing if I were you."  
"And about Percy, do you really believe in him?"  
"Yes, I do, Malcolm. He's going to come back, I know it"  
"In that case then…" He scowled. "Then I'm cool with it, I'll make sure the rest of the cabin are."

I thanked him, then said goodbye and he walked back to the Athena cabin.  
I sighed, resting my head against the cool, smooth table. "Now all I have to do is wait…"  
"Annabeth," I looked up, Grover was standing up next to me. A grin on his face so joyful and wide that it could only mean that they were serving cheese enchiladas today or… "Percy, Percy's back!"

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	19. Chapter 17 Glad it was dark

Disclaimer:

This Fan fiction is based on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief book. I do not own any of the characters, books or really anything thing to do with the Lightning Thief. I'm just re-writing it in Annabeth's perspective.  
-

"Where is he?" the campers murmured as they looked around for Percy. Chiron had told Grover and I that Percy had gone to his cabin to relax for a few minutes, let everything sink in. It was understandable, I would've done that too had I been in his position except I wasn't him. As much as I now liked Percy I still had to admit that his brain was still filled with kelp and highly doubted that there was anything for all this to sink into. I wanted to go right over to his cabin at that very second but Grover pointed out that he may well have been changing his clothes and despite the fact that Percy certainly didn't meet the description of ugly I wasn't prepared to see him without his clothes on.  
So we waited in the Dining Hall for Percy with the rest of camp where he had promised Chiron to meet us. The atmosphere was amazing; no one was without a smile, even Clarisse. Even if not for the right reasons she was still smiling...well, sort of smirking at me from the Ares cabin table while she planned an attack plan for Percy with her siblings.  
And even thought I knew that this might mean more fights at Camp I couldn't help but me happy too. It was impossible not to be. Well, almost impossible.  
Percy was the second camper to come back alive. He'd really made me proud, although I'd probably never a say it to him...he actually made me feel, well. Inferior. Small, like I should be doing better. Like I should be stopping world wars too or doing something; not just sitting here.  
Yet this didn't bring bad feelings, it just made me feel more relaxed, I wanted to be the best at everything I did but I enjoyed the feeling of knowing one of the people I had helped was successful and that my friend was alive.  
That was a lot more important than Child of Athena instincts.  
I thought that, just for this moment nothing could happen. Everyone was here and safe because of Percy. That was enough for the moment.  
Until I realised that I had been wrong not everyone was here. Luke's space at the head of the Hermes cabin was empty and, somehow, I knew that he wasn't smiling wherever he was.  
I shook my head. As I looked up I realised that everyone was silent and gasped a breath of air. My own mind made no sound, the rush of thoughts that had been there were pushed away so far back that I couldn't even remember what it was that I had been thinking. I couldn't even remember that I'd forgotten something. My heart thudded as footsteps stepped against the wooden floor, coming closer to me. Coming home.  
Then, just as significant as the silence had been before, a series cheers and whoops echoed through the room. I could vaguely see Grover standing up, clapping; everyone else followed his lead. I wanted to stand but I couldn't move my legs; it was like they were completely detached from my body. Like I was detached from me. When the footsteps stopped the room was shaking, morphing like the lift that we took to the Underworld; changing state. I felt the solid floor beneath me become lest resistant, bending underneath my feet, covering them. It was liquid, water. The purest water in the world.  
Green. The best green. Sea Green.  
It was a good thing that I'd held my breath; I was entirely submerged now in the enchanting green that was now even more striking than before. It had already been hard to believe that such a colour could exist in the first place but now I was faced with them and they were real. The only real colour that existed.  
I extended my legs out and kicked them, moving my arms in time with each kick as I explored the paradise. Then I remembered who was here and, just on cue I felt his arms around me, pulling me out of his ocean.  
When I sufficed he leaned towards me, lowering his voice. "I told you," he whispered. I could feel my legs under the table again, they were shivering. "I wasn't stupid. I wouldn't ever mess up something important like that, Annabeth." Then he leaned down and hugged me tighter. When loosened his grip on me he looked at me dead in the eye and repeated the words that I'd once said in what had seemed a lifetime ago. Except I'd never thought just how earnest those words could be. "I'll fight next to you." Percy said it with such intensity that I felt ashamed that I'd said it with such little thought.  
I breathed out and a nervous laugh escaped my throat. "You'd better remember it Seaweed Brain." I punched him lightly on the arm.

Percy grinned at me as he rubbed his arm and stepped over to the space beside me where Grover was sitting. For some reason I had to keep my legs twisted firmly together to stop myself from jumping up, it was...I really don't know. He was standing right beside him but I somehow wanted him to come closer to me; not just so I could know that he was safe or any of the things I'd been thinking when he was gone. Not for any logical reason. I just wanted him near me.  
We had a celebratory feast, huge silver platters were placed on the tables filled to bursting point with every kind of food you could imagine. The food tasted so nice, miles better than the food at the Lotus Hotel and even Auntie Em's cooking, maybe that was because the food was pure and not an insincere gift. Or maybe it was just the uplifting taste of the atmosphere as the dining pavilion buzzed.  
And even though Percy couldn't sit on the Athena table with me, Grover went to sit beside him and it was nice to watch the two of them talk. I discovered that, after a while of watching them, I didn't need Percy beside me so much. I could see him there, happy but still could not completely quiet the memory of his arms around me.

"Annabeth," I looked to my left where Malcolm was sitting next to me, "Excuse me." Malcolm got to his feet and made a gesture for me to move up on the bench. He smiled at me the way he always did when he knew some big, inside secret that I didn't. Well, not big secrets, just what was on the menu for dinner or who would win the next footrace; small things like that. It wasn't really just the subject, just friendly sibling competition. But there was something different about the look in his eyes, it wasn't a secret... What was it?  
I raised an eyebrow. Everyone around me seemed to be grinning as they glanced to Percy, then to me then back again. Percy was asking Grover a question, Grover just bleated a goat laugh to him and looked back to my table. Malcolm looked back at Grover then laughed, Grover looked at me and bleat-laughed again then they both looked at me...  
Chiron nodded at me lightly, a faint smile on his face and Mr D. sat beside him staring at me with baleful resent, as did Clarisse. Even then Mr. D and Clarisse knew something that I didn't.  
That made me nervous.  
Very nervous.  
The way they were looking at me...it linked into some emotion, not just secrecy...excitement...? I couldn't quiet pin-point the feeling; Grover probably didn't know what going on. He read emotions, not thoughts, still, I'd be nice to know what Malcolm seemed so excited about saying and why everyone else seemed to be in on it.  
I shot Percy a nervous glance who shrugged back at me and chuckled nervously.  
Ding, ding, ding!  
I turned around; a high-pitched sound rang through the air.  
"I'd like to have everyone's attention." Malcolm said, tapping his glass with a metal spoon.  
No spoke though a few people giggled and their were a few hushed whispers scattered around the room.  
"Okay, I won't give you a long speech. You all know the arrangements," he looked at me for a second. I narrowed my eyes as I tried to figure out what was going on but couldn't be really irritated in such a positive atmosphere. "Laurel wreathes!"  
"Laurels, why do we need-?" I hadn't even finished my sentence before my voice was drowned out in a herd of giggle Aphrodite girls.  
"We don't need laurels, Annabeth, you do." Silena laughed, she reached out a hand and ran it through my knotted, greasy hair. "Uh, and apparently your hair needs some too." She frowned. "Couldn't you of, like, bought some hair conditioner and a brush on the way back?"  
I rolled my eyes and sighed, allowing the crowd to carry me outside of the dining hall.

"Okay," Silena said once she'd sat me down in the Aphrodite cabin. "We'll need to get you ready for the procession." She looked at my hair, frowning and began to unpack beauty equipment from one of the many hot pink contains that were neatly lined across the pristine table.  
"Procession?" I asked as she fumbled through each compartment.  
Silena picked up a small plastic bottle and looked disparagingly at my hair again. "In terrible condition," she murmured. "It's overridden by dirt, uh, split ends; this is going to take me a while to sort out. I'll have to start out with a good wash, first though, I can't style it in this state..."  
She fiddled with my hair again, I pulled it away. "Which procession?"  
"Added force to your already split ends could cause long-term damage to your hair. Annabeth, I don't have long-term time, I have half an hour while they prepare and that's just barely enough."  
"They're preparing a procession, why?"  
Silena shook the bottle in her had then squirted out a carefully measured about into her palm. "It's camp tradition—hold this," Silena picked up something from the table that I hadn't noticed before and placed it carefully into my hands; I looked down. Two equally cut sweet bay branches gracefully slanting upwards into an arch, together forming a complete circle, tied together by a silver ribbon. The leaves were painted a glittery silver, encrusted with lavish gems. A laurel wreath.  
"It's an amazing design," I said, more to myself that Silena. "Cleverly constructed and accurately cut..."  
"Your cabin arranged for the Demeter cabin to get the laurel wreathes, they gave them to me and I worked a little glitter magic on it. You like?"  
"Yeah, thanks but why...?" I paused, thought. "Does this have anything to do with the procession that you so refuse to tell me about?"  
Silena bit down on her lip, I knew how much she loved to share the latest gossip.  
"Oh, come on, please. Tell me, you need to know gossip to be up-to-date, right?"  
She flicked her eyes away. "No, you come on." She started off in the other direction, her designer flip flops tapping against the floor. I sighed and followed her to the door.  
"Where are we going?" I asked.  
"To the showers, I need to wash your hair. You're obviously not capable of doing that yourself."  
"Whatever. But just so you know, I can and did at the Lotus Casino—"  
"The Lotus...?" Silena raised an evenly plucked eyebrow.  
"Ares sent us there with the backpack he gave us."  
"Ares gave you a backpack?" Her eyes were wide.  
I realised how only Percy, Grover and I had been on the quest; only we knew what had happened. And Clarisse. But she still seemed to think that the whole thing about her stupid dad was a lie or she was even more strongly willed than I realised that she could voluntarily delude herself.  
"I suppose," I smirked. "We both have some explaining to do."  
Silena nodded, slowly and spoke, slowly, reluctantly. Her hand rested on the door handle that she'd been about to open. "I'll find out what happened at the camp fire, I'll explain now. Remember when Luke came back from his quest, you remember the procession, right? Remember how he..."  
Silena voice became distant as my mind drifted away, back to the time where Luke had been happier...had he?  
Luke walks at the head of the crowd that follows him, I should be behind him but, being the smallest camper on site had managed to duck past them and get a seat by the camp fire where I could be able to see Luke clearly.  
Luke wore a laurel wreath on top of his long, silky hair. He walked rigidly, though, as if there was some sort of building tension in his body, his blue eyes were distant. I smiled and cheered for my hero. I didn't care that he maybe hadn't succeeded the whole way: he'd tried, he'd got out alive. That was all that mattered to me. All that mattered to him; too, I was sure of it.  
I didn't spend much time thinking of his expression or his feelings. I was so sure of my own...  
I nodded, for some reason something about that memory made me feel uneasy. The last part of it was somehow off but, like before, I could not identify what was wrong. "I remember all that," I said and walked closer to the door then turned around. "Wait, where does the makeover come into this?"  
Silena opened the door and grinned silently to herself. "Nowhere, we just figured you'd like to look good, you know, first girl to come back from a quest alive recently. Plus," she lowered her voice. "Percy looks kinda cute..."  
I snatched the door handle from her and stomped outside.  
Laughter from inside the cabin echoed the Silena's. I could still hear it, even as I marched away. My face felt incredibly warm.  
I was glad it was dark.

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	20. Chapter 18

Chapter 18. What the Fates Will Not Allow

Disclaimer:

This Fan fiction is based on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief book. I do not own any of the characters, books or really anything thing to do with the Lightning Thief. I'm just re-writing it in Annabeth's perspective.  
-

The night was amazing. I closed my eyes and tried to savour the moment, revelling in every feeling and aspect of it.  
"...didn't want him to go, and it was hard but we knew that there was no other way..."  
I could hear Grover's voice next to me as he began explaining the end of what had happened at the quest. In the middle of the large circle of campers that surrounded us.  
Earlier, after Silena had washed my hair and worked a little "glitter magic" on it, I rejoined a still clueless Percy. And Grover who was looked suspiciously well-informed as he commented on my newly brushed hair. I wondered if he had known about the thing the whole time, though when I asked him he just smiled so I glared at him though I couldn't hold my irritation for more than a few seconds and we both burst out laughing.  
Percy grinned when he first saw me, I didn't know what he thought of my appearance; he didn't say anything about it. He just looked generally glad to see me again. I was sure that I looked absolutely ridiculous on me (I couldn't pull makeup off like Silena and her siblings) so I was pleased by his oblivion.  
And when he sat by me he felt warm, he was always warm...he radiated warmth. Not just physical warmth—there was no need, the campfire crackled softly as its golden flames spiralled up into the air—emotional warmth. Just like in the truck, that night when I told him I'd fight by him, I could feel him.  
The other campers were pleased that we'd all returned and had seemed to be glad to forget the whole war thing.

"Percy," a voice said after Grover had finished speaking. "Annabeth. Please stand."  
I opened my eyes, Chiron was smiling at us. "Your cabins have made something special for you," he turned around and looked at Malcolm. "I take it that you would like to present them now?"  
Malcolm nodded, smiling back. "Yes sir." Then turned his grinning gaze to me. "For our sister." Agatha held out something that glittered like moonlight as the camp fire cast its golden glow on it, my eyes could not follow the exuberant shimmers of light that that burst from the material. I gasped as I saw what was giving off that light owls. The symbols of Athena.  
"It's remarkable," I breathed as they draped it over back. "This must've taken ages to make." My fingers brushed against the sequins.  
In the distance I could hear Percy saying something as he received his burial shroud...  
Wait, I thought. Who from? Percy didn't have any cabin mates. Who made his shroud? I looked up and saw Percy giving Clarisse a fierce glare, I narrowed my eyes at Clarisse as she smirked and said something back that I couldn't hear though I was sure that it was nothing too good.  
Percy gestured to his shroud and I followed his hand movement.  
Oh. It was an old, dirty bed sheet with messily painted smelly faces and the word LOSER painted in bright red in the middle.  
"Thanks," I turned back to my cabin. "This is wonderful."  
They said that I was welcome and explained how they'd made it while I was gone. I spent a while just catching up with them, asking them if they'd found out anything new and what books they'd been reading. Their replies were so detailed and intelligent; I'd forgotten just how smart my cabin was. I felt my throat close up slightly as I remembered my dad's approval. I'd miss them so much if I left. I decided to leave them talking after thinking of this, I didn't want to dull the mood by thinking about my problems.  
I walked up to Percy who was sitting down a little away from the most of the noise.  
"Hey," I said. "You okay, Percy?"  
He nodded then looked at my shroud, his eyes widened. "Wow, Annabeth, that's amazing."  
"I know," I said as I smoothed it out before sitting down next to him. "It's such a shame—"  
"Not to bury you in it." Percy said.  
"You don't have a proper one."  
We both said at the same time.  
"Hey!" I punched him in the arm.  
Percy flinched but laughed as he drew his arm away. "Joke, Wise Girl."  
"Whatever." I said, ignoring his smirk as I stared at the camp fire. Aside from Percy's stupid sarcasm it really did seem a shame that he didn't have a shroud. I would've made him one but there wasn't enough time and the sentiment wouldn't be the same, it had to be a surprise, like mine.  
But that didn't mean that wouldn't customize his shroud a little.  
"I have an idea."  
"What?" Percy asked.  
I looked at the burial shroud in his arms. "Wanna burn it?"  
Percy blinked in surprise, looked at the shroud then me then Clarisse and then back again.  
"Well?" I asked.  
"I like your ideas even when they're not in life or death situations." Percy said as he stood up. "Let's go."

We watched as the last pieces of cloth were consumed by the fire and reduced to nothing but a few scattered ashes. After we told Chiron that it accidentally "fell" into the fire, much to Clarisse's outrage which just made the whole thing seem even more fun. It was hard not to be happy and I liked it that way. I wished that my life at camp could continue like this, that I could be surrounded by friends all the time and feel this happiness but I knew that I had another choice to make though that didn't stop me from putting it out of mind for the time being...  
Not only did I want to concentrate on all the good things. It was just that, at that moment, I couldn't think of any of the bad stuff that I'd been worrying about before...  
But amazing feelings like that don't last forever. Reality has to kick in sooner or later.  
And for me that reality came much sooner than I'd expected.  
Much sooner than I'd have liked. Though the truth was somehow better than my ignorance...  
That didn't change how much it hurt, though.

After the night's events I went back to my cabin and lay inside my bed, it was midnight, now, and the rest of the Athena cabin was fast asleep, tired out from the celebration.  
But I felt just the opposite, I felt alert. Awake. Something was telling me, something in my mind, was telling me to get up and get out of bed at that very instant. Something was going on...  
I struggled against these thoughts, trying to get to sleep, for almost an hour before I gave into them and slowly, quietly slipped out of bed.  
Just to prove myself wrong, I told myself as I tip-toed towards the door. Then you can fall asleep.  
I folded my hand around the door hand and turned it slowly, checked behind me to see if anyone was awake but was reassured my several sleeping faces and the sound of steady breathing. I turned back, opened the door and stepped outside into the night air then closed the door softly behind me. I took another step forward and tripped on something hard, my hand automatically flew to cup my ankle that had knocked against something hard.  
I hissed a curse as I remembered the steps that I had missed in the opaque darkness.  
"Are you alright?" a voice said.  
I nearly injured my other leg as I whirled around, automatically reaching for my knife then a second later realised that I was in my pyjamas. My PJs didn't have a pocket. My hands shot out, I would use hand-to-hand combat, it wasn't as efficient or as damaging as my dagger but it could work if I used it with enough technique.  
I felt hands grip around my clenched fists, firmly holding them in place.  
"Careful," the voice said. "You can't always rush into action...child."  
I blinked then froze. "Mother...you...you're here, again?" I recited that in my head then wondered if it sounded rude. "I mean, you have everything right to be here, just how... " I paused, squinting my eyes as I tried to see through the darkness. "Did you send me out here?"  
"First," Athena said. "We must walk."  
I stepped downwards more slowly this time, remembering the steps then stopped on the ground. "I, um," I squinted again, searching for my mother's figure. "I can't see."  
"Indeed," my mother said and I felt the soft hand hold mine again. "yet the strong-willed may always find a cause to reveal a matter." Then she released my hand. "Do recall what I said to you, on the earlier occasion?"  
"Yes," I said. ""The ones who you call your enemies are the ones you must hold onto with all your strength. No matter how horrendous they are.""  
"Good, child, I see you have achieved that but that matter is not closed and needs not to be any further explored." She cleared her throat. "Perseus has helped you all he can; now you must be able to help yourself. You are not limited to anyone or anything. Especially those whom are kin to Poseidon." She drew out his name so it sounded like some sort of curse.  
"Yes ma'am." I said, though I didn't agree. "You also said that I shouldn't be blinded by my feelings, that I should examine every detail closely."  
"Daughter, remember that, it may help you...though," her voice dropped to a whisper, and I thought I sensed a little sadness in her voice. "You cannot change what the Fates will not allow." When she spoke next her voice was back to normal and I wondered if I had imagined the sadness that had been in it before. "Now, I may go. Don't worry about the light," She said, her voice had begun to fade. "Most times there's someone to turn it on...but not all."  
"Mother," I called, realising that I had so many questions to ask her that I had forgotten. "Mother, I need to ask you somethi—"  
"I have given you all the advice that I can, Annabeth. Goodbye."  
Then there was silence.

I sighed and turned around for my cabin to see Malcolm standing by the door. The light was on.  
"Annabeth," he said, rubbing his eyes. "What are you doing out there?"  
"See, I told you that I heard a noise." Agatha's voice said from somewhere behind him.  
I headed inside and shut the door behind me. "Nothing. I couldn't sleep, I just needed to walk, exercise, you know. To make me sleep better."  
Malcolm opened his mouth to say something but I reached for light switched and pressed downwards on it. The light turned off. "Light outs," I said. "See you guys in the morning."  
But I still couldn't fall asleep. And when I did all I could hear were my mother's words, echoing through my mind. "You cannot change what the Fates will not allow..."

PLZ R&R


	21. Chapter 19 The Truth

Chapter 19. The Truth

Disclaimer:

This Fan fiction is based on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief book. I do not own any of the characters, books or really anything thing to do with the Lightning Thief. I'm just re-writing it in Annabeth's perspective.  
-

HEY GUYS !  
SO! THE LAST CHAPTER HA!  
I DID IT . WELL READ ON!

* * *

Even though my back was turned and my eyes were focused on the blanket that Percy and I were unfolding I could see the flashes of burgundy, gold and violet from the very edges of my vision and I could certainly hear the loud bang that it gave out. This year's fireworks were better than ever, the Hephaestus cabin had decided to switch from the regular rockets to Patriot missiles. It was genius; the gap between each picture would be virtually unidentifiable to the demigod eye.  
I bent down as Percy lowered the blanket into the ground and pulled out an edge to smooth it down onto the ground. I heard the light sound of hooves scuff against the sand and I immediately knew who it was.  
"I'm off," Grover said. "I just came to say...well, you know."  
I straightened my back and looked at Grover, he was my height now and his horns had grown accordingly. They were now more visible and would need to be covered my his rasta cap all the time in the mortal world. His face looked fuller and his goatee had grown coarser.  
Grover had grown up so quickly in the last few weeks and I really didn't want to let him go. But as I took in his matured appearance I relaxed slightly, Grover was older now; he could take care of himself.  
I swallowed, leaned forward and hugged him. "Keep your feet on, Goat Boy."  
He bleated out a nervous goat laugh. "Sure, Annabeth."  
When I pulled away Percy spoke, "So, uh, where are you going...to search first, I mean...?"  
"Kind of secret," Grover blushed as he looked at us. "I wish you could come with me, guys, but humans and Pan..."  
I smiled, trying to look reassuring. "We understand," My eyes shifted to his backpack. "You got enough tin cans for the trip?"  
"Yeah."  
"And you remembered your reed pipes?" The monster count rate in the mortal world had gone up by about 7.9% since the last searcher went on their quest...and they, they... I bit down on my lip and steered my mind away from that train of thoughts; I needed to be supportive and I couldn't look nervous. Grover had an empathy link and I didn't want to risk him feeling scared, he'd need to be brave for this.  
"Jeez, Annabeth," Grover moaned. "You're like an old mamma goat."  
I smirked at him but I didn't feel smug. I bit down on my bottom lip as it trembled, threatening to drop down into a frown. I looked away as Grover began to put his backpack on, it seemed to make it seem so formal—so final. I watched Percy as he stood beside me, chewing his lip and realised that he hadn't said anything since Grover had come to say goodbye. I knew that Percy would miss Goat Boy a lot, Grover was his best friend as Thalia had been mine, I flinched. Except Grover's not going to die. I added mentally.  
"Well," I looked up as Grover spoke. "wish me luck."  
I swallowed and he leaned forward and hugged me again. He patted Percy on the shoulder, then he turned away and walked away, his goat hooves making small indentions on the small sand dunes.  
I watched at his footsteps got smaller and smaller as he moved further away from me.  
The days blurred together after that, everything felt great! The Athena cabin kept winning in Capture The Flag, Percy and I hang out in our free time, my Dad called me and told me that I could decorate my room whatever way I wanted, I dreamt about Grover. He was smiling and happy and safe, and that thrilled me to bits. Luke still seemed distant, though. Every time I tried to approach him he gave me a cold look and walk away, so eventually I stopped trying. I regret that a lot now, it might've saved a whole lot of trouble.  
"I'm leaving."  
"What?!" Dionysus's eyebrows shot up.  
"I'm going..." I cleared my throat. "home. To live with my-"  
"This is excellent news, no Alice. None of you stupid childish antics until next Summer..." he grinned to himself "in fact, this may be the last time that I ever see you."  
I sighed; Dionysus was always messed up name. I knew from experience that there was no point saying that my name was Annabeth, he'd only get irritated and find a more ridiculous name to call me. The last time I'd done that he'd called me Abominable for a week.  
"Well," he smacked his hand together "you better get packing. Chip chop! Hurry now or the Harpies shall eat your stuff."  
I started to tell him that I'd already packed my things last evening when the sound of a screaming girl sound through the Big House's door. The smell of perfume hit me as Silena ran through the door.  
"He's there...just...lying...he's..." Silena huffed.  
"Who? Who Silena?" I said.  
Her face was pale. "Oh, Annabeth. It's, it's Percy."

I pushed the demigods that had crowded around to see what was going on out of the way.  
"Annabeth! Selena!" Chiron called. "Lift Percy!"  
I rushed to Percy, and gently pulled Percy's arms over my neck. It hung limply by his side, his hand was clammy and cold. Together Silena and I lifted Percy onto Chiron's back. His skin was a sickly shade of green.  
Then I watched Chiron gallop away with Percy on his back. "Jamie," I turned to a centaur who was beside me. "Can you give me a lift? The Big House." The wait was agonising. I sat behind the bed that Percy had lay in, in the very same position that I had been after his fight with the Minotaur. I held the straw to Percy's lips, watching his chest rise and fall, making sure that he was breathing okay.

WELL I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF U WHO READ MY STORY AND REVIEWED IT .  
THANK U VERY MUCH!

WELL I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY BEST FRIEND RAHUL SHARMA FOR CHECKING GRAMMAR AND GIVING ME LOTS OF SUGGESTIONS ON MY STORY. THANKS MAN!

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK "allen r" .

WELL THIS IT AH!

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